Pollution! Our thoughts immediately go outside - smoke, harmful gases, ozone layer in the air and it is a fact that the outside air pollution is a major concern nowadays. Much effort and money continues to be spent cleaning up this “outside” air pollution. But air pollution can be a problem where you least expect it - your home! Many ordinary activities like cooking, heating, cooling, cleaning and redecorating can cause the release and spread of indoor pollutants.

Some common indoor pollutants can be animal dander (minute scales from hair, feathers and skin), dust mite, cockroaches, infectious agent and pollen. Out of these, most of them we can easily find at our homes especially carpets, furnitures, damp or flooded basements, wet appliances or bathrooms.

These pollutants can impact our health adversely. Its impact depends upon the amount of biological pollutant and majorly upon the person’s body type.These health issues could be allergies, infections or toxicity. Although it is not an easy task to get rid of the harmful pollutants, you can take few simple steps to vanish them from your homes.

Let’s see how we can do this:

1. Keep your floors fresh

Chemicals and other allergens can accumulate in your household. To avoid them, usage of vacuum cleaners, daily mopping of floors and usage of door mats becomes mandatory. Vacuum cleaners have strong suction force which ensures that dust and dirt won’t get blown out. On the other hand mopping clears the remaining dirt left out during the time of vacuuming and placing a mat door at every doorstep reduces the amount of dirt, pesticides and other pollutants from getting into your home.

2.Maintain a healthy level of humidity

Dust mites and molds love moisture. In order to control humidity, here are some tips which should be included in your day to day life.

  • Use an exhaust fan during the time of cooking or bathing

  • Don’t overwater houseplants

  • Fix the drainage issues anywhere at home to avoid water logging and formation of harmful molds

3. Add natural fragrances

Avoid all synthetic fragrances or room fresheners to avoid the entrance of harmful chemicals. Use products which are close to nature to get a natural fragrance in your home. Look for fragrance free or naturally scented laundry products. Use sliced lemons and baking soda to get a clean scent in the kitchen.

4. Make your home non-smoking zone

Cigarette smoke contains more than 4000 chemicals and it increases the risk of cancer, heart failure and other chronic health problems. So you need to focus on your reasons to quit it and not on your cravings in order to lead a healthy life.