How often do you think about the air quality inside your house? Chances are, not very often. Not unless you or some of your family members suffer from allergies. However, not thinking about it is a mistake. Not only can air pollution help people develop allergies, but it can cause more serious problems, such as asthma and cancer. Here are the most common indoor air pollutants, and what can be done about them.
1 – Dust
The most basic type of pollution is dust, which is carried into your home by air currents and by people tracking it into your house on their footwear. Even small amounts of dust can trigger allergies. In high enough amounts, dust can get into your nose or eye and cause irritations.
The solutions to keep the house clean using a broom and a vacuum. If you can identify one window as a major source of dust, try to keep it close as much as possible. Windows that open towards dusty environments or locations with heavy foot traffic should be prime suspects. Installing window dust filters is also an option.
2 – Animal byproducts
Pets are wonderful partners, but they also tend to shed a lot of material. Owners are used to seeing animal fur around the house, but pets also release animal dander — these little skin flakes, similar to dandruff in humans. In large amounts, dander can trigger allergies and bring down air quality.
On top of keeping the house clean, you can reduce the impact of pets by giving them regular baths and using special products to reduce the amount of dander they shed. Special brushes and gloves can be used to remove excess fur from your pets, leaving less for them to shed around the house.
3 – Chemical contaminants
Chemical elements like asbestos, lead, formaldehyde, and radon can all have devastating effects on your health. They’re also notoriously hard to spot by an untrained eye. The best way to stay safe from those is to have your house inspected for all those elements before you move in.
If your home has never been inspected for these contaminants, you should still get it done. Small enough doses of some of these substances can work as a very slow poison, chipping away at your health for years before symptoms start to appear.
4 – Cleaning products
Traditional cleaning solutions come packed with a large number of toxic chemicals. Many of them contain volatile organic compounds, which are known to trigger sick building syndrome. That’s a condition where occupants experience symptoms that are associated with time spent in a specific building — usually their house or their office.
The best way to avoid the damage caused by industrial cleaning products is by not using them. There are plenty of organic alternatives that can be just as effective as the traditional chemicals without being so hard on your health. Look into citrus cleaning products as an alternative.
