Improve Indoor Air Quality by Eliminating Contaminants

If you're going to improve the air you breathe, you definitely want to keep the air quality in your house at a high level. Of course, that's easier said than done. Our homes are a conglomeration of people, pets, materials, chemicals, and organic compounds, and keeping them clean can be a challenge.

Breathing air like this is not what we're after!

There are two main strategies for keeping any indoor air space clean: eliminate contaminants and provide sufficient ventilation. In this post, let's take a look at a few options for removing contaminants from the home.

Keep Floors Clean

Chemicals can build up over time in your home, and often wind up on the floor. The vacuum cleaner you use makes a difference. Ideally, you'll want a model with a HEPA filter, strong suction, and rotating brushes to keep dust from getting out of the vacuum exhaust back into the air.

Get your mop out for any hard-surface floors. You don't need to use chemicals; mopping with plain water will still remove allergens from the floor.

Place large floor mats at entrances to your home to lower the amount of dust and dirt tracked in. Prevent even more dirt in the house by asking everyone to take their shoes off before entering.

Dust Regularly

Dusting is no one's favorite chore, but neglecting it can negatively impact the air quality in your home. Use nontoxic cleaning products where possible. Plain vinegar is a good and inexpensive dusting agent, works on a wide variety of surfaces, and once it dries, leaves no odor behind. If you do decide to purchase dusting-specific cleaning agents, try to use products marked as "no VOC" or that have been certified as GREENGUARD or Green Seal.

Humidity

If the humidity's too high, you'll have a greater chance of mold and mildew in your home. Aim to keep the humidity level below 50%, and keep wet areas like bathrooms well ventilated. This not only prevents mold and mildew, but discourages dust mites and cockroaches, too. Fix any leaks in your roof or plumbing immediately and make sure to run your bathroom exhaust while showering or bathing.

A good-quality dehumidifier might be needed for certain areas of your home that are hard to keep dry, such as the basement. Make sure to purchase one that is the proper size for the area you're trying to keep dry.

Stop The Smoke

This is obvious, but if you're smoking, stop. The air in your home and your lungs will be much cleaner. Exercise caution with other sources of smoke in your home. If you use candles, make sure to purchase non-toxic versions. Wood-burning fireplaces can also negatively affect air quality, so use cured or dried wood, never the pressure-treated variety. Also make sure to keep the chimney and flue clean.

Use Natural Rather Than Synthetic Fragrances

It is common for commercial fragrances and fresheners to contain harmful pollutants. Instead of using these sprays, try simmering a pot of cinnamon and cloves on your stove top. Another option would be to use products that make use of essential oils rather than chemicals.

Launder Linens

Large pieces of fabric such as drapes, shower curtains, and bedding can harbor dust mites and allergens. It's best to wash in water exceeding 130° F. Make sure to wash new linens before using them so you won't be exposed to chemicals left over from the manufacturing process.

Start Small

Of course, these are just a few of the many things you can do to improve the air quality in your home or office. Set the goal of implementing just one of these today. Small steps in keeping the air we breathe clean lead to large milestones in reducing pollution throughout the world!

We're Talking About Air Quality - Is That Enough?

Poor air quality levels have been in the news for decades, and will continue to be as long as pollutants are put into our atmosphere. In fact, they've been talked about, and debated, for so long that it can be argued the average person has quit listening to or thinking about the problem.

It leads to questions worth our attention: Have we talked about poor air quality so long that most of us aren't listening anymore? Or is the problem that we've talked a lot, but not persuasively enough to convince industry and government to take action?

The hard truth is that many people don't care about air pollution and they probably won't no matter what is said. We don't need more research to prove that polluted air is bad for us; the point has been made for a long time. Of course, it's good that we are at least still talking about air quality, as the following recent examples make clear.

Oregon

Governor Kate Brown launched the "Cleaner Air Oregon" project this week, which is an effort to improve air quality in the state. What led to the initiative? It has been revealed that two Oregon glass companies have released high levels of toxins in the air. Predictably, the governor has received both praise for the effort, and scorn for not doing something sooner.

Colorado

The state legislature is currently fighting it out over whether state workers should be paid to work on an air-quality plan. Split along party lines, the state continues to struggle with whether they should implement their own air quality plan, or simply use the Clean Power Plan sponsored by President Barack Obama. The federal plan is currently in judicial limbo since the U.S. Supreme Court ordered a stay of implementation.

Washington, D. C.

The EPA has announced $8.5 million in funding for university research on protecting air quality from the impacts of a changing climate. Investigations will be conducted to ascertain the impact of wildfires, and increased particle pollution and its effects on human health and visibility. Air pollution chemistry and the effect of drought and land use will also be studied. 

Is It Enough?

Is it good that we're spending time, energy, and money to plan for and study the effects of air quality? Yes. Is that enough? No. We've been talking about air pollution for many years now. The Clean Air Act became law in 1963. That's 53 years ago, and while certain aspects of air pollution have improved, others have worsened. 

Let's keep it clean!

Talking is good. But doing something is better. What can we do as individuals?

• Don't tune out. When you hear about air pollution, take it as a reminder to improve your attitude and lifestyle toward the environment.
• If you own or manage a business that could contribute to air pollution, step up to the plate and do something about it. A wide variety of dust, mist, and fume control systems are available, and many of them can actually save you money in the long run.
• If you work at a plant or facility, make it your business to stay informed about improving air quality. The air we breathe is a worker safety issue, and if you're in an environment where your health is at risk due to pollutants in the air, you owe it to yourself, your family, and the environment to speak to your manager about what can be done to improve your workplace.

So let's keep talking about how to keep the air clean. But let's also start doing something to make that happen.