No matter how well designed your home or workplace is, you could be damaging your health. In order to prevent such health concerns from arising, you need to achieve air with three characteristics: it should be clean, fresh and at the right humidity level. If you can achieve this, then you’ll feel happier and more healthy while inside.
The threat of poor indoor air quality
The Canadian Health Measures Survey has identified 88 volatile organic compounds (VOC) contained in common household products, which could cause dizziness, headaches or lung conditions. With well-insulated homes becoming increasingly common, there is little opportunity for pollutants to escape. This can lead to a buildup of toxic chemicals in your home, where you spend the vast majority of your time. Finding time to get outside can be a difficult task for many people, who are too busy with work to walk in the park. However, not doing so could be deadly.
VOCs can cause dizziness, loss of coordination and severe damage to the lungs, kidneys and central nervous systems, taking years off your life. If you are feeling symptoms similar to the flu or allergy, then it may be the result of indoor air. You should, therefore, take steps to reduce the humidity and clear out pollutants.
Finding the right humidity level
The humidity level in your house should always remain below 50%, with lower humidity required in lower temperatures. However, you must also ensure that it never drops below 15%. If this happens, your air will be too dry and you will feel a thirsty, itchy feeling in your throat. In summer, stick to 35-40% and in winter aim for 15-25%.
Firstly, you’ll need to find a quality hygrometer. This will measure the humidity of your home, alerting you if it is outside the safe range. You can then decide if you need a humidifier or a dehumidifier to reach the desired humidity level. Once you have achieved this, you should find your allergy-like symptoms start to disappear. This deals with the humidity, but what about cleaning out dirty air and letting fresh air in?
Ventilation tips
One of the easiest ways to get a burst of fresh air into your home is to open doors and windows. However, for Canadians, this won’t be pleasant for most of the year. As a result, windows often remain shut almost permanently. If spraying cleaning products, smoking, cooking, or doing anything else that pollutes the air, then open the window to allow the toxins to quickly disperse. Beyond this, thoroughly clean your ventilation systems and update old or broken ones. This will ensure your home is continuously removing pollutants and bringing in fresh, outside air.
The design of your home should go beyond mere aesthetics. You need to incorporate clean air to ensure that your inside space is a nice place to be. This is all part of creating an ambiance that is pleasant and safe. Your home will smell better and feel cleaner to guests who will appreciate a pollutant-free environment.
Written by Sally Writes