by Deborah DeMoulpied, Bonafide Real Green Goods
Indoor Air Quality
As winter settles in, the indoor air quality (IAQ) in homes generally worsens. As home owners make efforts to minimize air leakage and make their castles more energy efficient, the ability to get a fresh air exchange decreases. Studies show that organic pollutants can be 2 – 5 times higher inside homes. But there are some things you can do to improve your IAQ this winter:
- Install the best filters you can on your heating system or air exchange system, typically HEPA filters; change frequently and don’t skimp.
- Clean the floor regularly, preferably with a central vac; use a wet mop instead of a dry mop or broom.
- Use your exhaust fans when cooking or showering.
- Use green cleaning products that do not emit chemicals; vinegar and baking soda get most things clean.
- Minimize new furniture, paint, and carpets with VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Winter is not the time to do a home renovation.
- Open the windows once in awhile; outdoor air is cleaner than indoor air!
- Burn only clean burning candles like 100% beeswax or 100% soy; both without artificial fragrance (there is no such thing as pure essential oil in lilac!) Inhaling fumes from burning paraffin candles is the equivalent of inhaling diesel fumes.
- Avoid using artificial fragrances found in conventional room sprays, plug-ins, air wicks, diffusers, dryer sheets, cleaning products, and perfumes as they release phthalates, a hormone disruptor, into the air.
- Avoid smoke from wood stoves and fire places.
- Have your home tested for radon.
- Leave your shoes at the door to keep dirt and germs out.
- Fill your home with house plants to help clean the air.
Watch for more helpful tips from Deborah of Bona Fide Green Goods, in our Feb. 15th Issue.
Bona Fide Green Goods
35 South Main St., Concord, NH 03301
603-224-9700 | 877-744-9744
www.bonafidegreengoods.com
www.facebook.com/bonafidegreengoods
www.twitter.com/BonaFideGreen
Leave a Reply