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Improving Your Family Wellness Starts with Cleaning the Air and Ends with An Air Purifier

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air quality is five times worse than outdoor air. The EPA goes on to estimate, that on average, Americans spend nearly 90 percent of their time indoors. That’s a lot of time inside being exposed to bad air!

Exposure to air pollution can affect us all, but it can be even more problematic for those with allergies, asthma, or other respiratory issues. The result can be everything from itchy eyes to congestion to trouble breathing. You start to realize quickly how important it is to improve the air inside your home.

What’s In the Air Inside My Home?

It’s hard to imagine that the one place you feel most comfortable can be full of airborne irritants that make it hard to breathe. There are several reasons the air inside your home can be such an issue.

• Dust
  We all know dust is a nuisance. But it can also be a health hazard. Breathing in dust that’s floating around can cause all kinds of issues. Your immediate reaction may be to sneeze, over time it may cause irritation in your lungs. No one enjoys house cleaning, but the best thing to do is dust your home at least once a week to get rid of as much of it as possible.
• Tobacco Smoke
  If you or someone you love smokes inside the home, that can cause indoor air pollution. We’ve learned over the years that smoking is bad for your health, so it’s important to try your best to quit. But if that’s not possible, the smoker should at least consider smoking outside. Secondhand smoke can cause irritation to your respiratory system in the short term. Over the long term, it can lead to heart problems or cancer.
• Wood-burning Stoves
  Wood-burning fireplaces and stoves can create a cozy atmosphere, but if they aren’t well-maintained or well-ventilated, they can send particles into the air causing breathing issues for you and your family.
• Household Cleaning Products
  Sometimes you have to use strong cleaning products to get things like the bathroom clean. But the odor that comes from strong cleaners can irritate your lungs. Make sure when you aren’t using them you keep them sealed tightly and stored properly. When you are using them, try to not breathe them in directly.
• Particulates
  Just opening the door on a nice spring day can invite in more pollen than you can stand. It’s hard to keep dust, pollen, and other allergens out of the house. But make sure you don’t just leave doors open. When the windows are up, make sure the screens are in – that will help eliminate some particles getting inside your home. And try not to wear your shoes in the house. We tend to bring a lot of the outdoors inside on the bottom of our shoes.
• Pet Dander
  Our pets are as much a part of the family as anyone else, but they are responsible for shedding pet dander. And that can cause all kinds of respiratory issues, especially if you have a pet allergy. ((maybe link to pet dander article))

This is in no way a comprehensive list of all the things that pollute the air inside our home. And because homes are made to be more energy-efficient, outdoor air isn’t able to seep inside as easily. Outdoor air can weaken indoor pollutants, but homes are now constructed in ways that doesn’t allow for that as much.

What Can I Do to Help My Family?

With all the things floating around inside our home, it’s important to figure out how to get rid of as many of them as possible and improve the health and wellness of your family.

Clean Regularly: Dust and vacuum your home regularly. Regular cleaning can help get rid of airborne irritants.

Open Up the Windows: When the weather allows, open up the windows. It will help ventilate the house – especially if the windows are directly across from each other. Opening up the windows will also help reduce the moisture levels inside your home.

Bathe and Groom Your Pets: Pets shed hair and dander that can trigger allergy symptoms. Bathe them regularly and brush them often. Make sure you do the brushing outside to avoid sending pet dander into the air inside your home.

Get a Handle on the Moisture: If the humidity level inside your home is too high, it can cause mold to grow. Mold can trigger all kinds of breathing and respiratory issues.

How Air Purifiers Can Improve Family Wellness?

The best option to get rid of airborne pollutants in your home is to invest in an air purifier. They can be expensive but are worth the investment. As the name implies, air purifiers purify the air. When they’re on and running, they pull airborne particles out of the air and send fresh, clean air back out. The most effective air purifiers use a HEPA filter system to filter out the bad stuff.

If you clean regularly and don’t have a pet inside, you may think you don’t an air purifier. But you might be surprised at just how many particles are floating around in your air. And while you may not be a true allergy sufferer, you can still get sick or have respiratory issues because of what you’re breathing in.

When looking at air purifiers, first decide where you plan to put it. If you want it to benefit the whole family, the living room may be your best option. It’s important that you know the square footage of the room it’s going in. The box will indicate how many square feet the purifier can cover. If your room is bigger than the recommended square footage, the purifier will not be as effective.

Look for an air purifier that uses HEPA filtration. It is designed to pull up to 99.97 percent of irritants out of the air. So, you will want to get an air purifier that works with a HEPA filter. Depending on your specific need, you may want to look at air purifiers that combine HEPA filters with activated carbon (for odors) or ultraviolet light (for bacteria and viruses).

Lots of newer homes these days have open floor plans. So, your living room and kitchen may be one big open space. You’ll want to look for an air purifier that can cover that amount of space. The Alen BreatheSmart 75i can cover up to 1,300 square feet. And the IQAir HealthPro Plus covers 1,240 feet. Both use HEPA filter technology and are very effective at removing airborne particles in your home.

Improving indoor air doesn’t just help you breathe easier – which is important. It can cut down on the number of times you might suffer from some type of respiratory illness. Healthy air can also help you sleep better and reduce your stress, which goes a long way in improving overall wellness for you and your family.

Key Takeaways

1. Indoor Air Quality: Indoor air is often more polluted than outdoor air, with the EPA estimating it to be five times worse. Many harmful pollutants, such as dust, tobacco smoke, pet dander, and household cleaning products, can contribute to poor air quality indoors.
2. Health Risks: Poor indoor air quality can exacerbate respiratory issues, allergies, and asthma, affecting overall health and wellness. Long-term exposure to pollutants can lead to serious health problems, including lung irritation and even cancer.
3. Improving Air Quality: Regular cleaning, such as dusting and vacuuming, can help reduce airborne irritants. Ventilating the home by opening windows, grooming pets, and controlling moisture levels can also contribute to cleaner air.
4. Air Purifiers: Air purifiers are an effective solution for removing airborne pollutants. The most effective purifiers use HEPA filtration, which can eliminate up to 99.97% of particles. Some models also include activated carbon filters for odors or UV light for bacteria and viruses.
5. Choosing the Right Air Purifier: When selecting an air purifier, consider the room size and ensure the purifier can cover the recommended square footage. HEPA filters are essential, and additional features like carbon filters or UV light may be beneficial depending on specific needs.
6. Benefits of Clean Air: Using an air purifier improves respiratory health, reduces allergy symptoms, promotes better sleep, and can reduce stress, leading to overall improvements in family wellness.