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1. The Importance of Proper Ventilation in a House

   March 25, 2018 1:54 pm Leave a Comment

   The atmosphere inside the house has a direct and significant impact on the health of the family members. Research, in fact, has even shown that indoor air pollution is more toxic to the body than that found outside! As most people spend most of their time indoors (roughly 90%), involved in their various activities that generate a set of indoor pollutions, it becomes imperative that you take a close look at the importance of ventilation and its significant contribution towards health and comfort.

   Indoor pollution can lead to aggravation of asthma, allergy issues, dizziness, headaches and spread of infectious diseases within an enclosed space. Unknown to many, a significant amount of air pollutants are generated from the use of cleaning chemicals and air fresheners, exhaled air, carbon monoxide, pets as well as products of combusted cooking gas.

   Condensation is one of the main culprits for the growth of mould and results from lack of proper airflow; this leads to an increase in moisture content resulting in its covering the surface of walls, floors and ceilings, sometimes even resulting in structural damage.

   You will be surprised to know that the colourless, odourless radon gas linked to some lung cancer cases can become trapped within your home, increasing over time if there is no proper ventilation.

   Most people aren’t aware that common chemicals used for cleaning along with finishings on furnishings release VOCs (volatile organic compounds); these gases build up with time in a home’s atmosphere if there is no proper inflow of fresh air.

   By opening windows and doors on a regular basis, you can effectively reduce allergens like cooking smells, pet dander, dust, pollen, etc, from building up. It’s an effective way of reducing symptoms of allergy-sufferers.

   High moisture and its resultant increase in damp, mouldy conditions encourage the growth of dust mites, thus posing risks for skin problems like itching and eczema as well as respiratory issues and irritated eyes and noses.

   All this makes it essential that you have an uninterrupted inflow of air to provide proper ventilation. Natural ventilation through doors and windows is the best way to introduce fresh air into the home. You can also introduce fresh air through exhaust fans typically found in the kitchens and bathrooms – where they are most needed! You could also create narrow air vents in your walls that will keep your home breathing even in your absence.

   Hope this info has gotten you running to open your windows by now….

2. How to Purify the Air in the House

   March 10, 2018 1:02 pm Leave a Comment

   Brace yourselves for the findings of the latest studies on the quality of air within homes – researchers show that indoor air is actually 2 to 5 times more toxic than that found outdoors! Research also shows that about 3.3 million deaths annually can actually be attributed to pollution. This should get you thinking about the pollutants your daily activities introduce into your home environment – and hopefully give you a better idea on how to improve your indoor air.

   Indoor air can contain irritants like dust mites, mold, pet dander, gas fumes, chemicals from cleaning agents and aerosols. Aside from causing various skin conditions, they can also aggravate asthma, cause irritation of the eyes and sometimes even lead to cancers. This makes it imperative that you find ways to improve ventilation in your homes and purify the air. Here are some tips:

   Increase ventilation

   Bringing in fresh air will dilute the level of pollutants indoors. You could go for exhaust fans to get rid of polluted air and high moisture content. Opening windows and doors regularly also helps. Creating natural vent slits in the walls keeps the air circulating even while you’re away.

   Use your Air-conditioning

   Even if the weather is just fine, you should run your ACs once in a while as the new-gen ACs purify the air before re-circulating it back.

   Eliminate pollutants

   The best way to reduce pollution is by getting rid of the source. This would include vacuuming your carpets frequently to get rid of synthetic fibers and dust and dust mites, telling smokers to light up outside, avoiding synthetic air fresheners and chemical-laden household cleaners; maintaining humidity between 30-50% indoors also helps. Brush your pets regularly outside the home to reduce irritating pet fur and dander.

   Shoes

   Keep outdoor shoes outdoors! They are laden with all kinds of impurities including germs, spores, pollens, industrial toxins and sometimes even excreta!

   Indoor plants

   These are natural air purifiers from Mother Nature and introduce fresh oxygen into our homes while sapping away carbon dioxide. Studies by NASA have shown that certain indoor plants are better at eliminating pollutants like benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene. One plant for every 100 sq ft of floor is best for natural air purification.

   Activated charcoal

   Known over the years to be a natural neutralizer of toxins in the air while being highly absorptive and odorless, it’s easy to use. Just leave this form of activated carbon in strategic corners, and that’s it!

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