How Clean is Your Air?
by Dr. Trevor Holly Cates
Not many people realize that the Air in our homes is often 2 – 5 times more toxic than outdoor air, even in heavily populated cities. Offgassing (release of toxic chemicals into the air) occurs from just about everything in our home and office: toys, mattresses, kitchen appliances, shoes, computers, carpet, clothes, tablecloths, shower curtains, and more. Any chemical you smell can make its way into your bloodstream by diffusing through your lungs and skin into your blood and then through your organs. So, that can often be a good indicator, but it’s important to remember that we often become accustom to the smells around us and then no longer notice them. This is a nice thing that nature provided for us except when your home is filled with polluted air.
Many people develop symptoms or illnesses when they move into a new or newly renovated home.
Some of the symptoms to look for include: headaches, depression, dizziness, confusion, and nausea. These can be due to the high amount of formaldehyde from insulation, pressed board furniture, siding material, sofas and mattresses or phenols in plywood. Carpets also outgas more than a dozen chemicals when new and then provide a breeding ground for mold and collection of dust.
So what do we do about it? Don’t be overwhelmed. Educate yourself and take action – even it’s just a few changes. You do have control of your home environment, so concentrate your efforts there.
A Few Tips to Keep the Air in Your Home Clean:
- Avoid installing new synthetic carpet. Use hard wood, tile or wool carpet instead.
- When purchasing new furniture avoid pressboard furniture and consider an organic cotton futon or latex mattress.
- Do not store toxic cleaning products, paints, pesticides and other harmful chemicals in your home or attached garage. When possible, choose non-toxic products such as eco-friendly cleaning products and no-VOC paints.
- Keep dry cleaning to a minimum. Hand wash clothes when possible and if you must dry clean some of your clothes, choose an eco-friendly cleaner and avoid storing dry cleaned clothes in your bedroom closet.
- Open windows and doors when weather permits to allow cleaner outdoor air to come in your home.
- Consider an air filter for your bedroom and/or living room. Austin and Blue Air are 2 of the best.
- Place plenty of low-light requiring house plants in your home such as Gerbera daisy, English ivy, Peace lily, Janet Craig. A study by NASA in 1989 on Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution showed these types of plants are helpful at reducing certain toxins in the air.