Could You Be Neglecting the Air Quality in Your Home?

Did you know that air quality in your home can be just as important as the air quality outside? People think that the two are synonymous, but in reality, your indoor air could be a lot worse than the air outside. In order to help you improve that air quality, we’ve got a couple of excellent tips that you should be following in order to maintain a healthy indoor atmosphere, but we’ll also be explaining why the quality of air is so important.

Photo Credit

Where does indoor air pollution come from?

Indoor air pollution can come from a multitude of places. People often think that the main cause is outdoor air pollution, but it can also come from within our furniture, pets and even carpets.

The most common offender is actually dust. Dust mites are a major allergen that, when also mixed with mould and pet hairs, can create horrible indoor air quality that will affect not only you but also your children. Those with asthma, such as young children and elderly, are usually the ones at risk of indoor pollutants, but the effects typically don’t show until much later in life. Indoor allergens can also linger around because we tend to spend a lot of time indoors instead of outdoors, and unless we do something to clean them out and replace the air with fresh outdoor air, we’re going to suffer long-term consequences.

Here’s a list of areas where we’ll typically find indoor air pollution:

• Smoke – Whether you’re a smoker or you’re burning something like wood to keep the fireplace running during inter, chemicals can linger in the air and pollute the home. Not only can something like tobacco smoke affect your own health and lungs, but it can affect those around you too.

• Mould – Mould isn’t just a black stain–it’s a living and organism that grows and spreads across your home if left unchecked. It can be irritating to your eyes, throat, lungs and even worsen breathing problems if you don’t keep it under control. There’s no way to completely get rid of it because it will form wherever there’s moisture, but there are ways to discourage it from growing.

• Carbon monoxide – Silent, tasteless and odourless. It’s completely invisible to humans and the only way we can detect it is with specialized alarms. Carbon monoxide can enter your bloodstream and nervous system to attack it, causing headaches, dizziness and even a lack of coordination. It’s fatal if you’re exposed to too much of it at once, hence the importance of a tool to detect it. It usually comes from sources like wood stoves, chimneys and even cars that are left running for too long in your garage.

• Asbestos – While not a problem in most modern homes, older buildings may contain higher levels of asbestos. If the asbestos itself is high-quality and isn’t disturbed, then it won’t release the dangerous fibres into the air that cause cancer. However, if you’ve recently performed a renovation or plan to, then it’s best to have a professional check for this dangerous form of indoor air pollution.

• Pesticides – The purpose of a pesticide is to kill. Because of this, it’s kind of obvious that you don’t want to have it lingering around in your home because the chemicals are nasty and can be incredibly dangerous. However, pesticides can be brought into the home unwittingly especially if you live around farms or areas that use them. They can irritate your eyes, nose and throat, and can even harm your nervous system. If you’re actively gardening then it’s best to avoid the use of pesticides and look for natural ways to get rid of pests.

There are many more sources of air pollution that can come from our homes, but these are the most common ones that you should be aware of. If you’re serious about the health and safety of you and your children, then it’s best to learn about these and find ways to reduce their presence in your home.

Photo Credit

Improving the quality of air in your home

Now that we know about the sources of indoor air pollution, let’s take a few prevention steps to reduce their impact.

Smoke

Simply put, don’t smoke indoors. While we’re not going to delve into the effects of smoking or why you should be avoiding it, we can at least recommend that you do not smoke indoors and do it far away from your children, other family members and your home in general. If you’re burning something like firewood, then make sure there is plenty of ventilation to ensure that the particles and smoke don’t linger around in your home. To summarize:

• Don’t smoke indoors.
• If you’re burning something like firewood, make sure there is plenty of ventilation.
• If you’ve just smoked, let the fumes pass before returning indoors.

Mould

Mould tends to grow in areas with high moisture, so your bathroom can be one of the most problematic areas for mould. Make sure you clean it at first sign and consider buying something to clean the mould off. If you ever experience mould in random places around your home such as the ceiling, then make sure you consider the possibility of a leak causing it. Humidity can also be one of the leading causes of mould growth, so you may want to consider a dehumidifier in rooms where the mould is particularly bad. If your bathroom doesn’t have a fan or window, then you can also consider leaving the door open to let exhaust the hot steam after you take a bath or shower.

• Beware of moisture as it can stimulate the growth of mould.
• Clean the mould at the first sight of it to avoid it growing and spreading.
• Make sure there is ample ventilation in your bathroom.
• Consider the possibility of a leak causing mould to grow in random places around the home.

Carbon Monoxide

Since carbon monoxide is such a danger, it’s vital that you have a detector that warns you of its presence. It’s also difficult to detect when in small volumes, so it’s important to consider what sources of carbon monoxide you have in your home and to keep those under control.

• If you haven’t had someone inspect your heating system for a while, then make sure you get it checked soon.
• If you have emergency generators, keep them away from your home and in a shed or outdoors.
• If you use camping stoves and charcoal grills for summer, then keep them away from your home as well and only use them outdoors.
• If you need to use a space heater during the winter, then make sure you only use them when you’re awake and when there is sufficient airflow in and out of the room.
• If your garage is connected to your home, then make sure your vehicle is turned off and have your exhaust checked.

Asbestos

Asbestos is incredibly dangerous and can easily cause issues like cancer if left unchecked. If you’re worried about asbestos at home, then the good news is that if you leave it in good condition (so don’t scratch or damage it) then it actually poses no risk. When the fibres are released due to damage, that’s when it poses a risk to your health and it’s also when you should be concerned. If there has been damage to your home such as a recent renovation or a natural disaster, then that’s when you should be concerned if you have asbestos in your home.

• First, learn what asbestos looks like so you can identify it.
• If you plan to carry out work, then make sure you hire a professional to inspect your property first before any kind of demolition or renovation.
• Minor work such as drilling holes into your home can also be dangerous if you don’t know what materials your home is made from.
• Removing asbestos is best done by a professional and should be left alone if you are untrained.

Pesticides

Pesticides are a problem only if you live in areas that make ample use of it, such as farmland. Pesticides can also be used in your garden, but consider that they are toxic and the chemicals can eventually get into your home especially if you do a lot of gardening. Here are some of the best solutions to reduce your exposure to pesticides:

• Use natural pesticides instead of toxic ones.
• Always use a separate pair of boots when gardening and leave them outdoors.
• If you’re cleaning your gardening boots, do it outside and not indoors.
• Try and source your produce from organic and locally grown areas.
• Wash all your fruits and vegetables before eating.
• Use natural ways to control insects in your home and garden.

Although we’re talking about pesticides, it’s also worth mentioning that toxic insect sprays can also cause indoor air pollution and work similarly to pesticides. If you have a pest or rodent issue, then it’s worth using natural methods to get rid of them.

Air quality is something that everyone knows about, but few of us actually take the time to fully understand it. Make sure you look at these tips and consider the possibility that you’re neglecting your home’s quality of air. Remember that pollution isn’t just something that comes from outside, but can also be created in your very own home.