8 Simple Ways to Purify Indoor Air
While most people are very aware of the
dangers of outdoor pollution, the many factors which can compromise the
quality of indoor air are far less well-known. Since most people spend
the majority of their time inside, it's highly important that everyone
understands just how detrimental indoor contaminants are for our health.
Here are 8 easy ways to improve the air quality in your home:
1. Use Natural Air Conditioning
There are many ways to naturally make your
home cooler and purer, without having to resort to running your central
cooling system all summer long. For starters, a ceiling fan can go a
long way if you're looking to cool entire rooms evenly. You could also
try minimizing the use of heat-producing appliances or install
heat-reducing window treatments. If you're looking to cool a yard or
terrace, then try adding large plants which will provide you with some
much-needed shade.
2. Try to Increase Your Ventilation
While this piece of advice might seem overly-obvious at first, there's
actually a lot more to increasing your ventilation than merely opening
more windows. This is because outdoor air might still contain hazardous
pollution that you wouldn't want to constantly breathe in. As an
alternative, you could install trickle vents that will automatically
cycle and purify the air that you breathe indoors.
3. Try and Eliminate the Source
There are plenty of sources of indoor air
pollution, such as a build-up of dust, excessive moisture, cigarette
smoke, and the use of chemical products. If at all possible, you should
try and limit your home's exposure to all of these, and it would be a
great idea to look out for any natural alternatives that you can use
instead.
4. Use Indoor Air Filters
Another thing which you might want to try is installing a number of HEPA
filters around your home, which have been proven to be a highly
effective solution when it comes to getting rid of nasty pollutants from
indoor areas. What's more, you can use HEPA filters in both portable
air purifiers as well as in central air systems. To get the most out of
them, HEPA filters should be regularly cleaned or changed.
5. Try Using Beeswax Candles
If you enjoy the natural light that
candles provide your home with, then you should do your best to avoid
buying ones which are made of paraffin, as these will end up polluting
your home with toxic petroleum by-products. You should instead opt for
beeswax candles as they combust very cleanly, and will also ionize the
air in your home, which will help to neutralize toxic chemicals and
other pollutants. An added benefit of using beeswax candles is that they
burn very slowly, so you'll find yourself replacing them much less
often.
6. Use Activated Charcoal
Making use of activated charcoal is another great way to naturally
purify the air in your home. Also known as active carbon, activated
charcoal is both entirely odorless, as well as extremely absorbent.
What's more, activated charcoal is easy to find, and you can purchase
all the charcoal you require from the internet, many home improvement
stores, or even well-stocked supermarkets.
7. Get a Salt Lamp
Much like beeswax, Himalayan pink salt is
another natural ionizer, which will help keep your home as pure and
fresh as possible. Not only are Himalayan salt lamps incredibly good for
you, but they're also a unique and stylish way to add a bit of
character to any indoor environment, whether at home or in an office.
8. Get More Houseplants
Of course, the king of natural air purifiers is the humble houseplant.
There are plenty of plants that are easy to grow and that will
effectively filter a whole host of toxins from your home. Some of the
best include:
• Spider Plant
• Dracaena
• Rubber Tree
• Philodendron
• English Ivy
• Bamboo Palm
• Aloe Vera
• Snake Plant
• Peace Lily
• Golden Pothos