Contrary to popular belief, the air in your home is not as clean as you think. Given that most people spend almost all of their time at home nowadays, it’s vital to keep indoor air free of harmful toxins. The air you breathe shouldn’t harm your lungs; rather, it should enhance your lungs and respiratory system. It should be a break from the many airborne toxins and pollutants that exist in outside air, but this isn’t always the case.
More often than not, indoor air contains a combination of carbon dioxide, pet dander, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The air quality will depend on several factors, including the city or area in which you live. Humidity levels, living next to a freeway, or being in farming areas can decrease air quality in your home. Some buildings can even remain damp enough to cause mold and bacterial growth, which negatively affects asthma patients.
People spend about 93% of their time inside now, so it’s integral to keep indoor air clean and fresh. Dust, mold, and pet dander are common things that exist in the house. So make sure to clean the house regularly to avoid dust mite accumulation or bacterial build-up. If you want to naturally purify the air in your home, use the following tips.
Beeswax Candles
Do you enjoy dining or relaxing in a bath by candlelight? Start using beeswax candles instead of paraffin candles. Beeswax candles help to purify the air because they are made from natural compounds. Ready for some science? Beeswax burns and creates negative ions that bond to positively charged pollutants in the air. This results in cleaner air that smells delicious!
Himalayan Salt Lamps
Salt lamps have been known to reduce the presence of airborne pathogens, irritants, and allergens by extracting vapor out of the air. Himalayan pink salt can naturally pull toxins from the environment and neutralize them because that type of salt is a natural ionic air purifier. Add a Himalayan salt lamp to a room in your house and you’ll notice the difference. You can also leave it on at night without it disrupting sleep. The orange light it emits doesn’t disrupt sleep hormones.
Indoor Plants
Invite greenery into your home! Indoor plants beautify the home, but they also help to filter the air. Certain indoor plants work to remove carbon dioxide, toluene, heptane, and other VOCs from the air. Some of the best plants to have in the home include the snake plant, aloe vera, spider plant, and the weeping fig. If you want to learn more about indoor plants improving air quality, click here.
Cut Down On Cooking Pollution
Believe it or not, cooking can worsen the air quality in your home. Gas ovens emit about 130-546 ppb during the cooking process. This exceeds the World Health Organization’s recommendation for indoor exposure to nitrogen dioxide at 106 ppb. When you cook on a gas range, it emits about 82-300 ppb. Gas stoves also increase the presence of carbon monoxide in the home. The way you can cut this down is by replacing common oils that have a low cooking temperature with oils that have a higher cooking temperature, for example, coconut oil or sunflower oil.
Use Natural Cleaners
Do you ever notice that it feels difficult to breathe after using chemical cleaning products? Well, the chemicals can linger in the home and worsen the air quality. That sounds counterintuitive, considering people use them to rid surfaces of bacteria and germs. They clean surfaces, not the air; just remember that. Great natural cleaning products that don’t reduce indoor air quality include hydrogen peroxide, distilled white vinegar, essential oils, baking soda, and isopropyl alcohol.
Clean Your Carpets Regularly
If you want to thoroughly clean your carpet, the first step is to get a great vacuum. Carpet in your home is like a giant toxic sponge that absorbs dust, bacteria, pet dander, and more. It’s wise to not wear shoes in the house for this reason. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, if you wipe your shoes at the door and don’t wear shoes in the house, you can reduce common toxins in your home by 60%.
