6 ways to protect your family from Indoor Air Pollution

Of all the people in your home, it’s your children who are most seriously affected by the ever-increasing levels of indoor air pollution. Off-gassing from their favourite toys, their bed, composite wood furniture, carpets, paint, air fresheners and cosmetics (to name just a few), alarmingly, household air pollution was responsible for an estimated 3.2 million deaths per year in 2020, including over 237 000 deaths of children under the age of 5.

These are frightening figures, that will no doubt leave you wondering how to protect your family from indoor air pollution. While it’s near impossible to avoid all indoor air pollution, it is possible to significantly reduce it – something we should all be doing for ourselves and our loved ones.

Fortunately, the steps you can take to clear the air of harmful pollutants don’t have to be hard or break the bank. Here are 5 ways to protect your family from Indoor Air Pollution…

Open windows regularly 

It may seem counter-intuitive, given the pollution in our outside world, but studies have shown that indoor air pollution is frequently two to five times higher, and occasionally up to 100 times higher, than outdoor air pollution.

With this information in mind, it’s a good idea to give your home a frequent airing. However, it’s also worth doing this strategically, to ensure you don’t make matters worse. If you live near a road, only open windows at a time when there’s less traffic. If you suffer from hay fever, stick to opening windows early in the morning when the pollen count is lower.

Clean and vacuum frequently

As you may have already learned from our blog about how air pollution can impact your mental health, a lot of indoor air pollution is made up of tiny dust, dander and mould particles, as well as VOCs (volatile organic compounds) found in upholstery, cosmetics, cleaning products and more. These often make their way into the air after settling onto (and into) carpets and furniture. So frequent vacuuming and cleaning are a must to keep indoor air pollution levels down.

Other ways to limit exposure to these harmful particles are to always remove your shoes before entering your home, wash bedding regularly and never use a second-hand mattress.

Switch to natural products

Some of the most dangerous VOCs we breathe in come from the chemical products in the home. The worst culprits include air fresheners, cleaning products (especially oven cleaners), aerosols, wall paint and beauty products. 

Switching up your usual, chemical-laden products with natural alternatives is an excellent idea to reduce harm in your home. You can even make many household cleaning products yourself, using simple ingredients such as vinegar, baking soda and essential oils! 

Reduce the risk of damp and mould

Damp and mould can be very dangerous, particularly for young children whose lungs are still developing. If you’ve got asthma (see our blog on Allergy Awareness Month for more on this) or a weakened immune system, it’s all the more important to keep fungi and humidity in check.

Again, regular cleaning will help, but it’s also very important to take steps to reduce humidity in the home. If you hang wet washing, it’s always best to do so outside if you can. If that’s not possible, open a window and leave your washing to dry in the sunniest spot in the house, to speed up the process. 

Decorate with air-purifying plants

Did you know that some plants have the incredible ability to scrub pollution from the air? The famous ‘clean air study’ conducted by NASA found that various houseplants, such as the Spider Plant, English Ivy, Gerbera Daisy and the Money Plant can remove toxic pollutants from the air, including benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene.

If you choose to bring these amazing plants into your home, do your research first if you have pets, as some are poisonous to cats and dogs.

Use an air purifier

It’s important to try and tackle the root cause of indoor air pollution, by reducing the risk of mould, cleaning regularly and sticking to natural products to reduce the toxic load around you. But even with all these things in place, there will still be a lot of indoor air pollution to deal with – and it doesn’t stop coming!

This is where an indoor air purifier comes in – specifically a Greentech indoor air purifier, which takes its inspiration from the natural world, and uses active and passive technology to seek out and destroy pollutants in your home. 

Air purifiers are without a doubt the most effective way to reduce indoor air pollution and keep levels down. Our award-winning filtration systems have been proven to remove 140% more VOCs, 99% more airborne terpenes and be 100% more effective at neutralising odours than carbon filters. What’s more, it targets both surface and airborne contaminants, completely managing viruses, bacteria, moulds, fungi and even Covid-19! All while being totally safe and non-toxic for humans and animals.

Want to know more about how an air purifier can transform your living space? Get in touch!