As rising pollution levels and climate change continue to dominate our news, it is easy to forget that environmental pollutants are not the only dangers affecting our quality of life. In recent years, a growing number of scientific studies have indicated that indoor air quality can become more detrimental to our health and well-being if left unmanaged and unmonitored. I became quite conscious of this when we lived in central London on a very busy road and have been particular ever since.
You have to be quite strict and consistent with your cleaning schedule and actively monitor and eliminate harmful pollutants through proper ventilation and the use of Alen home air purifiers. This really helps get the stale air out and makes the home feels so much fresher. These are the basic things I usually try and do.
Control Allergens
It is common to find a host of different allergens and irritants in indoor spaces, including mould, pet dander, dust, pollen, and dust mites. Reducing these allergens will not only improve the overall air quality of your home but also mitigate the risk of experiencing debilitating respiratory symptoms, such as sneezing, skin rashes, itching, congestion, watery eyes, and a sore throat. Again, I have become a little more conscious of this because now there is a baby at home and I seem to be have become super sensitive to pollen and recently started getting hay fever quite often.
The main things I have done (especially after all the news from France about bed bugs and the like) is regularly washing bed linen in hot water at least twice a month to remove dust mites and opting for hypoallergenic bedding, including pillows.
Cut Down Pollutants
One of the most effective ways to improve the air quality inside the home is to identify and eliminate common sources of indoor pollution. These pollutants often include radon, secondhand smoke, formaldehyde, and cleaning products.
Radon is a natural radioactive gas that can seep through cracks in the earth and accumulate in your home, leading to various health issues, including lung cancer. Home test kits are a simple and easy way to check for unsafe levels of radon in your home. If such levels are found, you can often mitigate the issue by sealing the foundation of your home to prevent the gas from entering your living space.
Additionally, formaldehyde is a common volatile organic compound, or VOC, and is one of the many poisonous gases sometimes emitted by standard household items. It is typically found in the glues used in composite wood and many types of new furniture. Opting for used furniture over new pieces and choosing solid wood furniture over composite wood are two proven strategies to reduce formaldehyde levels in your home, not even counting the fact that it looks way nicer!
Reduce Dampness
Somehow once summer is over, indoor spaces automatically start feeling a bit damp. I don’t know what it is. Dampness in indoor spaces can lead to a range of health concerns, including the growth of mould. High humidity levels and increased dampness can also cause VOCs to leach into the air at a quicker rate. Damp environments can occur for various reasons, including living in humid climates, pooling water, leaky pipes and roofs, and inadequate ventilation in spaces with high steam levels, such as kitchens and bathrooms.
Damp conditions can often lead to unwanted health issues affecting the respiratory system, including asthma attacks, coughing, and wheezing. You can reduce this dampness by using a dehumidifier, identifying and eliminating sources of pool water or areas with high moisture levels, and improving ventilation during activities such as showering or cooking.
Use an Air Purifier
Bringing an air purifier into your home is one of the most effective ways to keep your air cleaner and healthier. We started using an air purifier when we lived in central London and continue to do so even though we don’t live on a busy road anymore. The key is to select an air purifier that uses high-efficiency particulate absorbing (HEPA) filters, as these are proven to do the best job of removing harmful particles from the air. HEPA filters have been found to remove more than 99% of harmful particles from the air, including mould spores, smoke, VOCs, allergens, and excess carbon dioxide, and can even help remove particles of the flu virus from the air.
Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash
Improve Ventilation
Allowing air to freely pass through your home is an effective and cost-free way to instantly improve your indoor air quality. Opening windows and doors to encourage proper ventilation throughout your home can effectively remove unwanted odours and other air pollutants, provided the outdoor air is clean and free of pollen. I realise this is difficult to do in colder weather but even in winter I do try and do this from time to time. Chose one of those rare bright sunny days in winter and open up your doors and windows for 5-10 minutes.
However, air can also enter your home through vents and weak spots around door and window frames. Unfortunately, there is little that can be done about this short of replacing the entire frame, but it is essential to ensure that any air entering your home through vents isn’t contributing to the overall problem. Regularly changing filters in your home heating and cooling systems, keeping air ducts clean and unobstructed, and maintaining filters in appliances that bring air into your home are three simple ways to improve indoor air quality.
Test Air Quality Regularly
If you are concerned about the air quality in your home but unsure what changes can be made to improve it, testing your air quality is a really good idea. You can do it yourself or bring in a professional. While doing it DIY is often less expensive, employing the services of a professional will likely produce more accurate and detailed results. I personally think the DIY option is good enough and gives you some idea of where you are starting out.
There is a wide variety of air quality test kits available online, some of which allow you to test for multiple pollutants, while others test for only one, such as radon. Because these kits are less comprehensive, they may be more effective if you are only interested in testing for one or two specific issues.
– Anisha
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