According to a study, indoor air pollution can cause four times as many deaths as homicides. It’s often the leading cause of death for low-income households. Moreover, three percent of all diseases are caused by indoor air pollution. People with lung conditions and chronic allergies are especially at risk.
Knowing how to reduce indoor air pollution in your home means your care for your family’s health. So let’s discuss a few ways to improve your home’s air quality and reduce indoor air pollution.
How to Reduce Indoor Air Pollution
Indoor air pollution can be as bad or even worse than it is outdoors. Exposure to indoor air pollution can seriously affect your health, so it’s essential to know how to reduce it to keep your family from harm. Below are five effective ways to prevent or reduce indoor air pollution in your home.
1. Do not smoke indoors
Cigarette and vape smoke are common air pollutants. So the first step to making the indoor air cleaner and healthier is to stop smoking indoors. According to professionals, second-hand smoke from tobacco contains more than 7,000 toxic chemicals that can cause severe health conditions and even drift easily through your home. If you have family members who smoke indoors, tell them to do it outside or encourage them to stop.
You’re saving their lives by doing this, and you’re also protecting your household from exposure to second-hand smoke and reducing your chances of home fires. Cigarette smoking is responsible for many home fires and deaths every year. So avoiding indoor smoking can help save you the hassle of employing fire restoration specialists should your home suffer fire damage due to carelessness.
2. Open your windows
Sufficient and proper ventilation is crucial to promoting healthy and clean indoor air. Opening the windows is the best way to improve ventilation and encourage a good exchange of outdoor and indoor air. Keeping your windows open during the day also helps regulate moisture in your home. Excess moisture encourages mold growth and can develop in 48 hours if there are damp areas in a home.
If there are mold infestations in your home, don’t neglect them. Contact mold remediation contractors immediately to address the situation.
3. Stay dry
You can keep the moisture down by using a dehumidifier to stop mold growth. Don’t forget to clean the filter regularly to prevent producing pollutants. If the humidity in your home keeps increasing despite regularly using a dehumidifier, see if there are unresolved leaks or water damage in your home. If you find water damage, contact restoration professionals to prevent mold growth and structural damage. You may visit their home page to see their restoration services.
4. Give your pets a bath
If there are pets in your home, regularly wash their bedding and bathe them to reduce allergy-causing dander. If you can, keep them away from your bed to avoid allergies.
5. Use the cooking vents
The kitchen is one of the major sources of indoor air pollutants in homes. Gas stoves release contaminants like nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. Electric burners produce the same pollutants at lower levels, including other harmful particles easily absorbed into the bloodstream. To help filter the air when cooking, always turn on your kitchen vents and open the windows.
