How to Improve Indoor Air Quality in Your Home

Although it may be hard to believe that air pollution levels inside the modern house can be two to five times greater than the levels outside. Combining that with the fact that the typical person can spend upwards of ninety percent of their time inside, it will come as no suprise that the term Sick Building Syndrome has become a new byword in the English language.

Inside pollutants such as dust, pet dander, tobacco smoke, mold spores and pollen tend to be continually recycled which ultimately means that folks who suffer from allergy induced asthma are making their complaint worse by being inside.

Some Other symptoms of sick building syndrome include giddiness, head aches, tickly throats, stuffy nose, itchy or watery eyes, nausea, lethargy and an inability to concentrate.  However, since several of these symptoms are similar to those of a common cold, it is not always easy to to determine if indoor pollution is the cause or if it is down to some type of viral infection.

If you find that the symptoms fade when you outside, you should try to identify indoor air sources that might be possible causes and try to eliminate them. Fortunately, indoor air pollution is one health risk that you can do something about.

Here are seven simple steps you can take to improve the air quality in your house.

Ban Smoking Inside the Home

Even though this may sound obvious, you should in effect ban smoking inside your home or at least restrict it to one room. In our case, any friends or family that call are restricted to the kitchen area or the back garden if they want to smoke. In the kitchen, an extractor fan pushes the smoky air outside as it does with cooking smells.

Open Your Windows From Time To Time

Weather permitting, you should open windows and doors in order to lower the concentrations of inside pollutants while permitting outside air to come in. Make good use of kitchen and bathroom extractor fans. Clean and check the fan and any vents on a regular basis and clean or replace any filters that may be fitted.

Throw Those Chemical Cleaners

Take any one of those so called miracle kitchen cleaners from your cupboard and someplace on the label will be a warning as to how hazardous they are to your health. Furthermore, look at what they are made of and see if you can recognize the names of any of the substances in that bottle. As A Matter Of Fact, I doubt you will even be able to say the name, let alone know what it is. As soon as you use that product, a lot of those chemicals go into the air, the fumes of which are inhaled. How is it that some well known anti bacterial cleaners start your eyes watering and bring on a coughing fit. Not anymore though, as my natural cleaning products of choice are bicarbonate of soda, washing soda, vinegar and pure lemon juice. These are all non toxic, environmentally friendly and can tackle most cleaning chores, either individually or mixed with one another.

Clean and Dust Your Home On A Regular Basis

Even though it might appear obvious to some folks, regularly vacuuming your carpets and floors can go a long way in controlling airborne allergens and dust. It is said (although I have no proof) that around 70% of all household dust comprises of dead skin, which we humans shed day in and day out. Dust mites successively feed upon this dead skin that falls from our bodies. They then grow and shed their own skin and it is this together with their faeces that causes allergic reactions in folks.

Pet Dander Triggers Allergies

If you have a family pet, they will molt dander that can trigger allergies and asthma attacks. If you suspect that you or a family member may be allergic to your family pet, action needs to be taken. Ideally, it is best to keep pets out of the house completely although that is seldom possible. As a viable alternative, try and restrict the rooms that the pet is allowed into. One definite area to keep them out of is the bedroom.

Reduce Indoor Air Humidity

If the climate where you live is either very muggy or just plain wet (as in too much rainfall), you will no doubt be aware of just how much moisture levels inside your home can increase. This excessive moisture or humidness is the perfect breeding ground for mold. For anybody with allergies, mold spores can cause as many health problems as airborne dust. Dehumidifiers can be a godsend in a humid environment because they are capable of removing excess dampness from the surrounding air, thereby keeping mold and the resulting spores at bay.

Get an Indoor Air Purifier

Home air purifiers are units that clean indoor air of allergens, like mold spores, pollen and pet dander.  They are especially useful if you or a family member suffers from allergic reactions or asthma since they can reduce airborne contaminants by a considerable amount.  Air purifiers and room air cleaners are rapidly increasing in popularity because they make indoor air healthier and cleaner. All the same, there are several types of air purifier, some of which can in reality make allergies worse instead of better.