Indoor air quality is a sometimes overlooked but important element in the designing, building and refurbishing of interior spaces. Air quality in our homes have a major impact on our quality of life and well-being. It is estimated that people spend more than 90% of their lives indoors, and with an increase in the numbers of people spending more time at home, it is important to focus our attention on causes of pollution in the home and how to reduce or eliminate them completely.
The first place to look is the everyday things like your soft furnishing, wall treatments, and everyday household things
Wall paint:
Wall paint gives our homes so much character and beauty. However, traditional methods contain chemical components which are used to create the paint. This is what gives it the colour and spreadability; and improves the paint’s performance, drying time and longevity. These chemicals are called volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
'VOCs are dangerous for a couple of reasons. First, many VOCs are known carcinogens. A typical bucket of paint contains chemicals, such as benzene, methylene chloride and others, that have been linked to cancer' www.howstuffworks.com
While the compounds dissipate over time, some of the chemicals remain in the paint for up to years later. The healthy alternative, although a higher-priced option, is to use no or low- VOC paint.
A creative option is to minimise the surface area that is covered with paint, and combine with wallpaper. Combining painted wall surfaces with wallpaper, increases the aesthetic quality of your home. And in this case, it also helps to reduce the amount of VOCs being emitted into the air.
Soft furnishing:
I know it's an awful lot to think about when choosing materials for your interior finish because of the wealth of research information out there, but I will make this as simple as I can.
While natural materials are generally considered better for the environment - think cotton, silk and wool - I believe we are at a stage in our eco-responsibility journey where we cannot ignore the impact of plastics on the environment. If we dig deeper into the process involved in converting these natural materials into fibre, we find that some are not as eco or health friendly as we think. Research findings here have a few things to say about the chemical processing of organic materials if you're interested in learning more. In a nutshell, they have this to say -
'...the commercial production of cotton fibres requires large quantities of water, pesticides and herbicides and the waste-waters of the textile industry have also been long recognised as sources of chemical pollutants.'
These chemical compounds used in the manufacturing of fabrics sometimes remain in the material for years - albeit dissipating over time. In that time, it is diffusing residual toxins into the air.
It is not a cut and dried solution to choose materials with the cleanest chemical emissions because of individual preferences and aesthetic styles. It might be an interesting idea to find a balance between using natural and recycled materials. Eco-friendly materials normally carry certification labels like Eco-Cert, ECO-INSTITUT, the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Oeko-Tex, or the Soil Association.
Also, washing your new curtains before hanging them or dry-cleaning your rugs after a purchase can help to reduce the mount of residual chemical pollutants from the manufacturing process.
Here is a reliable resource for information on the best types of fabric to use - https://www.sustainyourstyle.org/en/fiber-ecoreview
GOTS Certified materials is a great resource for beginning your research.
Pets:
Do you have pets? I love animals! Look at that face❤️
They bring so much joy and fullness to life. Their fur and dander pose potential respiratory problems though.
'Pet dander is microscopic flakes of skin shed by animals with feathers or fur. Other allergens include proteins found in saliva, urine, and feces from cats, dogs, and other pets. All of these things are very lightweight and tiny. They therefore can remain in the air for a long time and easily stick to furniture, bedding, and other fabrics in the house.' - www.staffordhomeservice.com
Simple solutions like using chair covers made from microfibre, or materials that repel fur <like leather> helps to prevent hair and dander from accumulating on furniture and permeating the air.
Also regular bathing, brushing and grooming of your animal babies minimises the potential of accumulation. And ventilate, ventilate, ventilate...which brings me to my next point.
Ventilation & Moisture Control
I remember a couple year ago when i moved into a new apartment. The rainy season was just about to begin, and I clearly did not pay attention to signs of damp in the walls. Three months into the rainy season, I started to develop respiratory issues which unfortunately, resulted in a four-month long battle with black mould disease that triggered my now-asthma. I did not immediately see the damage that was being done until I started to investigate. That was when I discovered black mould growth behind the wardrobe!
The first and most important thing to do in order to improve ventilation is to open your windows! Allowing for inflow and outflow of air is a very effective way to swap out stale air for fresh air. This might be a little more challenging in the winter months, but dedicating a couple of minutes to an hour venting air would do your household more good than you would ever know, if you do not have an efficient ventilation system installed.
Thankfully, modern architecture and design is beginning to factor in the importance of human well-being in interior spaces, and so ventilation systems are becoming a commonplace consideration when building or refurbishing, and is a common feature in modern buildings. If you do not have an air purifier installed, it is a great idea to invest in one.
Another important thing is checking for mould or mildew buildup round the house. These are sources of indoor air pollution caused by overly moist conditions. The presence of humidity encourages the growth of mould.
A good quality ventilation system usually takes care of pollen, pet dander, decaying insect particles and dust mite pollutants; but you have to watch out for mould buildup because this is usually a result of lingering damp in the walls and on soft furnishing. If you have indoor plants, don't overwater them. Indoor plants generally don't need weekly watering as we tend to think. I was guilty of this as well and I had to do quite a bit of reading in order to understand plants' watering needs. What I do is check the humidity levels in the soil with a meter, and I only water when the soil is dry enough to need one. Wet soil encourages bacterial and mould growth, which is bad for both you and your plants.
Watch Your Product Use
'Paints, varnishes and wax all contain organic solvents, as do many cleaning, disinfecting, cosmetic, degreasing and hobby products' contain VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds) that linger in the air for hours to days after use, and can cause irritation, allergic reactions and health issues if exposed to them for extended periods.
Most manufacturers don't give full disclosure on all the chemical compounds in their cleaning products, so it is a little challenging to identify a cleaning product that is potentially harmful. More so, US and EU labelling regulations allow product manufacturers to provide very little ingredient information to consumers. In Europe, only ingredients over 0.2% or known to be harmful (excluding those used in the manufacturing process) are required to be on the label.
When you are buying your product, although you're not able to completely tell which ones are harmful, there are a few listed ingredients that are helpful to look out for as they are considered the most dangerous. These are phthalates, chlorinated bleaches, fragrances and benzene.
There are a few eco-certified cleaning and household products that focus on eliminating air pollutants from their products like the ones listed here. Another way is to use natural alternatives to cleaning like vinegar and baking soda; but always remember that organic does not always equal hypoallergenic. It is always good practice to read the labels and understand what these chemicals are, and how they affect your overall health.
There is an educative read on maintaining indoor air quality by eliminating VOCs here
Use Air Purifiers & Essential oil diffuser
Regarding mechanical air cleaners, https://www.epa.gov advices that 'there are many types and sizes of air cleaners on the market, ranging from relatively inexpensive table-top models to sophisticated and expensive whole-house systems' and a few can be found on Amazon. There are also charcoal pouches that are proven to absorb toxins and excessive moisture and bad smells from the air, though not as effective.
Another method for cleaning the air is by diffusing essential oils. Though not a scientifically proven method of ridding the air of allergens, essential oils have amazing therapeutic and health benefits, and are an excellent alternative to commercial air fresheners. They have demonstrated some anti-viral and antibacterial properties. The jury is still out on the long-term effects of consistently diffusing essential oils around the clock because remember, organic doesn't necessarily translate to hypoallergenic. There are chemical compounds in essential oils that, if used for prolonged periods, or among certain people groups, could do more harm than good. So in using essential oils, it's always a good idea to do your research and know which essential oils to use; and for how long.
Tisserand Institute, an authority on essential oil use, says that 'essential oils and their constituents have been shown to be effective antibacterials (Tisserand 2015), and clarification of their action as antivirals is crucial.'
Your Waste Pipes
Blocked pipes are a common, albeit overlooked cause of air pollution in the home. This problem can be easily remedied by taking a preventive approach to maintaining your pipes. Using a biodegradable pipe cleaner would not only prevent any blockages from occurring over the long term; it would also serve to decalcify and clean the pipes, preventing any stale smells from oozing out of your sink or bathroom drain.
I know a few people are probably expecting indoor plants to make this list. I am sad to report that it is not scientifically proven that plants have the ability to effectively filter toxins from the air. This famous NASA experiment proved that plants could years ago, and some scientists swear by plant's ability to filter harmful toxins from the air (the leafier the plant the better) however the jury is still out according to science alert.
The reason for this is because these experiments were carried out in a controlled environment, and unless you are able to turn your home into a tropical rainforest, indoor plants would be the least effective way to purify your indoor air. They do promote feelings of well-being; and I've got quite a collection in my apartment. But they are not there to filter my indoor air. Sorry guys.
There you go! My two cents on maintaining indoor air quality in your home. This information is by no means exhaustive. It is a way to point you in the direction of being aware of your immediate environment - the place that you call home and a haven for you and your family.
Have you got other ideas or information on indoor air quality? Let me know in the comments below.
Comments