5 Tips to Avoid Air Pollution at Home

Written by DC Air on October 21, 2021

Air pollution in your home, also known as indoor air pollution, can pose a serious health risk to family members. Children can be very vulnerable members of your household. Kids breathe in more toxins per kilogram than adults, and because their airways are smaller, irritation might result in a proportionally larger blockage.  Overall, every home is prone to bad air quality. Known causes of indoor air pollution include: 

• Cigarette smoke 
• Household cleaners, specifically those that give off fumes 
• Particulates from candles and incense 
• Perfumes 
• Allergens, such as mould, pollen, pet dander, and dust mites 
• Wood-burning fireplaces or stoves 
• Poorly ventilated gas stoves 
• Building materials like asbestos, formaldehyde, and lead

1. Why Is Indoor Air Quality Important?

When you spend a lot of time indoors or in a confined space, you will need constant fresh air at home for good health. Since you breathe more than 20,000 times a day, the quality of the air you breathe impacts your health.   Air quality inside our homes can be up to 5 times more polluted than the air outside. Because of this, over 81% of people are at risk of developing respiratory or dermatological conditions. There can be up to 900 toxins interfering with our indoor air quality.   Short term adverse effects of poor indoor air pollution include: 

• You feel irritation on your eyes, nose, throat 
• You cough, wheeze, and feel chest tightness 
• Your nose becomes quite sensitive to allergens 
• You experience incidences of irregular breathing patterns 
• Tracheobronchitis 
• You may develop asthma 

Chronic health complications resulting from air pollution include: 

• Long-term exposure stunts the growth of your lungs 
• Development of lung related problems 

Have questions about your indoor air quality at home? We would be happy to answer. Contact our team at DC Air today. 

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2. How To Avoid Air Pollution at Home 

Although you can’t get rid of all the pollution in your home. There are ways to control some of it. Below are some ways to avoid air pollution at home: 

• Avoid smoking indoors 
• Use craft supplies in well-ventilated areas 
• Ensure your gas stove is well-ventilated 
• Use dehumidifiers and or air conditioners to reduce moisture 
• Minimize air freshener use and use of cleaning products 
• Dust surfaces and vacuuming frequently 
• Ensure your exhaust fans are functioning in bathrooms and kitchen 
• Keep a lid on scented candles 
• Have houseplants since they reduce levels of formaldehyde in the home 

3. Home Air Circulation Tips

Improving ventilation and air quality in your home reduces the accumulation of virus and dust particles in your home’s air. Tips to improve fresh air at home include: 

• Open your doors and windows to bring in fresh air from outside  
• Use window exhaust fans to move virus particles inside your home to the outside 
• Use heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system (HVAC), if available 
• Use portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) cleaners  

4. How Can You Check Air Quality in Your Home? 

Since it’s impossible to control air pollution outside, focus on providing fresh air at home. You can do this by constantly testing the air quality by: 

• Purchase an indoor air quality monitor 
• Evaluate health symptoms through checkups 
• Monitor carbon monoxide at random levels 
• Install air purifiers  
• Take your car for emissions testing regularly 
• Call HVAC professionals to test your indoor air quality 

5. How To Improve Indoor Air Quality At Home?

Opening windows is vital for the ventilation of your home. However, due to allergies and extreme temperatures, consider using air filters. Also, ensure you check your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems (HVAC) regularly.  

Are You Struggling with Your Indoor Air Quality?  

At DC Air, we analyze and measure the air quality in your home. Did you know indoor air quality can be more unhealthy than outdoor air in many cities? Give us a call today, and we’ll help you breathe cleaner, fresher air.  While you’re at it, check out our free Ebook on improving your indoor air quality.