Did you know that nearly 60% of Americans live in areas where their health is jeopardized just by the air they breathe? And the air in your home is generally two to three times more polluted than the air outside! With numbers like that, it’s almost hard to give a damn whether or not you’re buying organic or keeping flame retardants out of the house, isn’t it? But there are still many things we can do to help protect us from air pollution. Here’s a list of things you might want to do in order to help clean up the air in your home.
- Get a High Efficiency Particle Air Filter (HEPA) for your living space; get the best one you can afford that covers the widest range of pollutants in your home
- Use unscented cleaners and all-natural cleaning products
- Don’t smoke, and don’t allow people in your home to smoke
- Limit the use of wood-burning fires and candles in your home
- Provide adequate ventilation—including inside the attic and crawl spaces—to avoid moisture buildup
- Use plants that help eliminate allergens and harmful substances, such as spider plants, English ivy, Boston ferns, and peace lilies
- Regularly dust with a damp cloth and wash bedding in hot water to kill dust mites
- Bag up throw pillows, stuffed animals, and other dust collectors and freeze them for two days to kill dust mites before returning them to your home
- Avoid paint strippers, pesticides, and unsafe solvents in hobby materials
- Make sure any exhaust fans and dryer vents empty outside
- Keep any humidifiers in use very clean, and change the water in them daily
- Clean any water damage right away before it leads to mold growth; consider eliminating carpets in areas that are prone to leakage
- Use a dehumidifier in places that tend to hold water
- Keep pets off beds and furniture to avoid inhaling dander
- Eliminate carpets to avoid pet dander, dust, and pollen buildup
- Regularly clean the home to keep allergens at bay
- Remove any mold in your home and have air ducts cleaned if there is mold present in them
Regarding air outside your home, you can:
- Drive less, drive a vehicle that pollutes less, avoid using your car’s air conditioning, or refrain from driving completely
- Write to your local and national officials about raising vehicle and company emission standards
- Start a city-wide campaign for better air that includes planting trees, creating affordable alternative transportation options, and cutting down on local business air pollution