We recently found a very interesting article written by Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D. in the Loveland Herald Times Reporter about the indoor air quality of the average person's home.
Titled: Smog Report: Clean up the air in your castle
A new city-by-city air-pollution expose (www.stateoftheair.org) may have you thinking about strapping on scuba gear before heading outdoors. It's sobering news that one in five people live in communities with lethal levels of smog and particulate pollution - the toxic soup of chemicals, metals, acids, ash and soot that triggers asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes and early deaths. Makes you want to close the windows and stay home.
Not so fast. The air in your living room might be worse.
Indoor levels of some pollutants (formaldehyde, chloroform, styrene) can be two to 50 times higher than levels in your front yard. And now that few of us spend our days hunting game or plowing the lower 40, you probably spend nearly 90 percent of your time inside, inhaling byproducts of everything from household cleaners to emissions from your laser printer.
YOU can do a lot about it.
- Ban the Number 1 cause of home air pollution: Cigarette smoke is the single largest source of particulate pollution inside homes. Don't let anyone light up anywhere in your home.
- Skip air fresheners and spray-on cleaners. Regularly breathing in volatile organic compound called 1,4 DCB, found in room deoderizers (toilet-bowl frshening blocks, too), could reduce your lung function by 4 percent. Use aromas from 100 percent essential oils instead. Inhaling chemicals from furniture and glass cleaners can up asthma risks by 30 percent to 50 percent. In fact, one in seven asthma cases may be triggered by cleaning sprays. Try wipes.
- Open shut windows. Whether you live in an ultra-modern shelter or a drafty old farmhouse, you need to air out your castle regularly. Tightly constructed new homes may have higher pollution levels than leaky old ones. Always switch on exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom when you're cleaning or cooking. Cut down on the chemicals you bring home, especially dry-cleaning ones. They've been linked to kidney and nervous system damage as well as cancer. Hang clothes outdoors for an hour before bringing them inside.
- Boot indoor particulates. Inhaling particulates - microscopic gunk produced by everything from burning logs to broiling fish - can leave you wheezing or worse. Keep furnaces in good repair and be sure vents to heaters, clothes dryers and ranges are clean and working properly. If you heat with wood, check that your stove is well sealed and burns efficiently. Think twice about burning incense and candles, especially in drafty areas; both can produce fine particulates.
- Recruit Mother Nature's air force. Love live plants? Invite them in. They'll love you back by boosting air quality. English ivy, asparagus ferns and variegated wax plants all filter out respectable amounts of volatile organic compounds from your air. Spider plants, snake plants and golden pothos bring down levels of "indoor smog," the ozone found outdoors that's also emitted by home-office electronics like laser printers and copy machines.
- Avoid "gassy" decor. New no-iron linens and drapes may release formaldehyde, which can trigger allergies, asthma, nausea, coughing, chest tightness, wheezing. Wash all permanent-press curtains and bedding (clothes, too!) before using; you'll reduce formaldehyde emissions by 60 percent.
- Doing summer fix-ups? Choose low-emission paints, adhesives, sealants, refinishing products, insulation and more. Fumes from the regular stuff can cause headaches, dizziness and eye/nose/throat irritation long after nasty smells are gone. Buying low-emission products is a simple way to help you, your family and your planet breathe easier.
Following the above tips AND using an air purifier will almost eliminate toxins from your home!