We are often unaware of how polluted even the air inside our homes and work places have gotten. The presence of such toxins is slowly harming vital systems of your bodies, such as the nervous system and reproductive system.
You often wonder what the most effective ways to cleanse the air inside your homes are. Some the most effective, cost-efficient and natural ways of cleansing air inside your home are:
1. Increase ventilation
How?
As simple as either keeping naturally high ceilings in homes or installing an efficient exhaust system. You can increase ventilation in your homes by making sure there are outlets installed in vital places such as beside gas heaters, coal stoves etc. The idea is to make sure that these devices and heaters that create toxins are given an outlet so that these pollutants go out and in comes fresh air. Cross ventilation is an absolute must for it allows fresh air to enter the home.
Why?
My home and your home alike have some sort of a heater or cooking device that produces pollutants. Sometimes, these toxins are odorless and cannot be detected. It is, therefore, a good idea to keep windows netted and have a working exhaust system that sucks the air out.
2. Use indoor air purifiers
How?
Dust and dirt are known to cause allergies in children and adults alike. Air purifiers remove common indoor pollutants largely. If you want to make the most out of your air purifier, it is important to:
- Place the air purifier in an area that is used often and would benefit the most from having one
- Buy an air purifier that is large enough to cover the entire area of your home
- Routinely check the condition of the filter inside the air purifier.
Why?
Air purifiers can help ease the symptoms in people suffering from asthma. If the air purifier you purchase is not large enough to cover the entire area of the room, you can place it strategically near the door, the kitchen or the bathroom to reap the benefits. Some of the benefits of having air purifiers in different places in the house are:
- Door entrance: The air purifier can act as a filtering shield that filters the air as it enters your home.
- Placing it near something as dirty as a trash can not only reduces the odor but also removes dead microbes that might harm you and your family.
- It can also reduce the harmful effects of smoking when it is placed behind a sitting area with a sofa.
Further reading: What is the best air cleaner for allergy suffers?
3. Eliminate the source
How?
You need to figure out what the source of indoor pollution is – it can either be that newly painted room or the new pressed wood table you bought. Ranging from your air fresheners to cleaning products, once you know what the source of toxins is, you can eliminate the source.
Why?
It is better to spend more on products that will not have long-term repercussions on your health. If you eliminate the source, you will feel the benefits of fresh air.
4. Clean with non-toxic chemicals
How?
Some everyday household and cleaning products emit harmful toxins like formaldehyde. You can reduce your exposure by shifting to products that are either advertised as green or natural. However, it is best to note that even sometimes products advertised as green contain ingredients that may adversely impact the quality of indoor air. It is best to choose products that are:
- Natural
- Green
- Non-corrosive
- Non-flammable
Why?
Toxic household cleaning products may release dangerous VOCs. These toxic products may cause:
- Headaches
- Irritation to the eyes
- Allergic reactions
- Aggravate symptoms or asthma
- Long term health risks after prolonged exposure.
5. Use beeswax candles
How?
Instead of using paraffin wax candles that might emit carcinogenic vapor when burnt, you can shift to beeswax candles. You can place pure beeswax candles around your home (Opt for un-fragranced and plain ones) and burn them so that the negative ions from the candle pull dust and dirt from the air. Easily available, you can use these candles to create a more natural and therefore fresher environment in your home.
Why?
Better than paraffin wax candles, you should consider using beeswax candles because:
- Lesser smoke and soot
- Cleans air
- Best for people with asthma
- Renewable resource
6. Place salt lamps around the place
How?
You should consider replacing lamps around your home with salt lamps. These salt lamps can either be placed:
- in lounges because they also work as air purifiers
- in your bedroom as a more natural and beautiful light source
To reap the benefits of salt lamps you can:
- Keep them on for as long as you like i.e. just not during the night
- Buy bigger lamps so they are long-lasting and cost-effective
Why?
Similar to how beeswax candles clean the air, salt lamps use negative ion to suck the dust and dirt out of the air. The benefits of salt lamps are:
- Light natural glow that does not disrupt sleep hormones
- Negative ions clean the air
- Best for people with asthma
- Cost-effective
7. Activated charcoal
How?
You can use any type of activated charcoal for air purification in your homes. A personal favorite for me is the bamboo charcoal. You can put bamboo charcoals in bags and put them around your house.
Why?
These bags can help purify the air by reducing pollutants such as:
- Formaldehyde
- Benzene
- Ammonia
- Chloroform gasses
8. Buy Houseplants
How?
The most effective way is to know what plants have what properties. Some plants effectively reduce formaldehyde and some acetone. You can purchase these plants and place them around your house.
Why?
House plants not only improve the overall ambiance of the house and work place but also reduce the number of toxins in the air. Indoor pollution has been linked with long-term health ailments. Houseplants are not only cost effective but are also easy to keep, as some types require almost no maintenance!
Further reading: Top 15 Indoor Plants that Clean The Air and Remove Toxins
