Indoor Air Quality – Holiday “New” Stuff

Well, it is the month when love is in the air. Honestly, we should always have love “in the air”. But, that is all that should be in your indoor breathing air. We should be doing our best to keep all the harmful things out of our indoor breathing air. And what could be more loving than that. How do we go about that?

First, clean often. Especially vacuuming and mopping can keep particulates from getting into your breathing atmosphere. If you use a vacuum with a HEPA filter it helps even more.

Second, take out the garbage often. The gases and odors that ruminate from the garbage can get quickly into the indoor air. Get that stuff out of there quickly.

Next, keep the surfaces in your kitchen as clean as possible. That too can affect the breathing atmosphere.

Fourth, always make sure your home is well ventilated. That may even mean opening your window even for a few minutes during the colder months.

Last, but certainly not least, change your air filters consistently. The rule of thumb is generally once a month.

All of these things will help keep your indoor air clean and fresh. And what is more loving than that!

Yep, it’s spring. Most people love spring and hate the allergies that accompany it. Many, retreat indoors thinking it’s a safer place for indoor air quality. Maybe, maybe not.

At a fairly recent conference the pollution in our indoor breathing atmosphere was definitely a hot topic. Apparently what we tend to think as a “safe haven” from pollution may not necessarily be. The coverings we put on our floors, the furniture we buy, the cleaning products we use, even what certain things are packaged in can add dangerous chemicals to our breathing atmosphere. Even what and how we cook can add unwanted particles into the air. One article even said “Even the simple act of making toast raised particle levels far higher than expected,”. Really? Making toast?

All that can seem “over the top” or alarming. No one can go change everything all at once. The idea shared and the conference was twofold. One, make small changes by paying attention to what comes into your home going forward. Two, for there to be more efforts to hold manufacturers accountable for how and with what they make their products. My thought is that we need to be personally aware and responsible for what we buy and how we use things. It’s not really rocket science it’s just a matter of stepping up and paying attention.

So, if we want to take better care of ourselves and our families in the area of better indoor air quality, let’s commit to paying attention and making wise choices. Here’s to breathing better and easier!!

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicabaron/2019/02/19/bringing-attention-to-indoor-air-pollution/#2849c2858b3c

Honestly, I’m finding it almost unbelievable that spring is just about upon us. I love spring. I love the sun and the flowers and everything green and pretty. And then the proverbial allergies. I don’t love those. Although there is not much we can do about the allergens in the outdoor air, we can do something about our indoor air quality.

For the most part our homes have been shut up pretty tight all winter long. Unfortunately, that means dust, pollen, pet dander, and general yuck have collected in our homes. The places these things collect are in all the soft surfaces in our homes. They collect in our upholstery, carpets, nooks and crannies and in the air ducts. In order to truly start spring off fresh, all of these things needs to be cleaned. You can do all of these things yourself with the exception of the air duct cleaning. Of course, you can get help with all of it but air duct cleaning is not something you should attempt yourself. Make sure you check reviews and pay attention to the way the ducts are cleaned. It is very important.

Start spring off right. Get to all those things that need your attention and don’t forget the air ducts. Give your indoor air a fighting chance!