Dirty, dirty air

They say the air in your home is 3-5 times dirtier that the air outside. Scary.  

Obvious things like smoke pollute the air, but hopefully most people go outside. 

Then there are chemicals, we use them to clean, we use them to kill bugs,we use them to paint our house, and there are chemicals in our carpets (no matter the age).  The first one is easy, use green cleaners. The second is a little harder, no one likes bugs in the house (except for an Entomologist), but we don't want the chemicals either. I have hired Greenhouse Pest Management to come and rid me of these creatures.  They use things like Borax and Pyrethrins (that are not harmful to any animals). The third is easy too, use VOC-free paint. Yes, it will cost almost twice as much, but there is NO smell.  The carpets, it is a love-hate relationship.  We love them for the softness and the warmth that they create, but they harbor germs and bacteria and allergens.  To counteract the VOCs from carpets, I put plants in all the room.  Of course, most of you are thinking that plants will surely die, but not if you get philodendrons or peace lilies. They can both tolerate low light and they will wilt when they need you (aka water).

Another indoor pollutant is gas like carbon monoxide, radon and leaking natural gas.  For carbon monoxide, a detector can save your life, so it is worth the cost.  Radon must be checked by a professional and gas may be leaking from your appliances without even realizing it, so that needs a pro too.

Other pollutants can include water leaks that cause mold, not taking shoes off (which brings in everything you stepped on during the day), or not using a hepa-filter on the vacuum cleaner

Change your air filters every three months. Period.  Even after almost 3 months, our filters are so disgusting, I am thinking of changing them more often. We use the 3M filters that are supposed to filter out more allergens, but we also have a cat and a dog.  That leads me to mention another source of allergens, animals.  Vacuuming regularly, brushing them outside, wiping their feet, making sure they have no fleas and washing their bedding helps.

Open your windows when the weather is nice (if  bugs come in, just call your green pest guy).  Air out your home and the chemicals.  Make sure to never bring drycleaning bags in the home (my hubbie asks for no bag on the clothes, so they are aired out by the time he gets home).

Nothing is ever easy, including the air.  Do what you can or change things gradually, it took me years.  The payoff will be a healthier house and healthier family (including pets).