Holidays Are Here! – How’s My Indoor Air?
Ready or not they are here! The holidays! I love them and they make me crazy, but I mostly love them. You might wonder what in the world they have to do with indoor air quality. Well, quite honestly they can have a lot more to do with it than you might think. You’d be surprised at how much of what goes on during this time affects the quality of the air we breathe indoors.
Believe it or not the things we love about the holidays can adversely affect our indoor air. Candles, live greenery, other fragrances and decorations can emit chemicals and gases into the air breathe. Those same things can even irritate respiratory tracts and trigger asthmatic reactions. All of the extra cooking can also add to the problems. Not to mention just the sheer number of extra people that can be in our homes.
Great! Now I’ve made the holidays into a major bummer. No, not at all. There are things we can do so that we are not putting our families and our guests at risk.
One of the first things we should always consider is to make sure our homes are properly ventilated. Ventilation is huge. Proper stove and fireplace ventilation are the two biggest helps but also proper bathroom ventilation. Cleaning often is a big help as well. Vacuuming and dusting are huge. Using a vacuum that has a great HEPA filter can do wonders. Of course, changing those air filters regularly is helpful as well. Using essential oils instead of some of the chemical based fragrances may also be a good option for you.
Rest assured there are things that can be done to promote good indoor air quality in your homes and still enjoy the smells, and feelings they emit, for the holidays. Be well and enjoy each and every moment!