By Justin and Clara Hamel
Air quality in our homes is a critical factor for overall health, as most people spend an average of 16 hours or more in their home each day. Unfortunately, the air in our homes is often 2 to 5 times more polluted than the air outside. This is due to a combination of factors including a buildup of pollutants from cleaning supplies, personal care products, VOCs from building materials and various other pollutants that accumulate in the home. However, there are a number of easy and inexpensive ways to greatly improve the quality of air in your home.
One of the fastest and most effective ways to clean the air in your home is to increase air ventilation. It is as easy as opening a window! Opening windows improves air quality by diluting indoor pollutants and increasing air circulation. This can be especially helpful after cooking or cleaning as these activities can introduce additional toxins into the air.
A second equally effective step in removing toxins from the air in your home is to remove your shoes at the door. Shoes are cesspools of germs, bacteria, dirt, feces and pesticides. In fact, studies have shown most shoes are dirtier than a toilet seat, and over 90% of the contaminants on shoes transfer to our floors. These contaminants not only stay on our floors but also begin to circulate through the air. Luckily, the solution is simple: implement a no-shoes policy in your home. Not only will you have fewer toxins in your home, but you may also get by with a little less mopping!
While increasing circulation and removing shoes are great ways to reduce the number of toxins in your home, it is also important to be mindful of what you introduce into the air in your home. For example, air fresheners, candles and scented waxes release a variety of chemicals into the air that can build up in your body and lead to hormone disruption and dysregulation. In addition, plug-in air fresheners have been found to produce considerable levels of the human carcinogen formaldehyde, and most scented candles are made out of paraffin, a petroleum byproduct that releases acetone, benzene and toluene, all known carcinogens, into the air you breathe. Even candles and scents labeled as “clean” can contain endocrine disruptors and carcinogens. Thus, it is best to stick with essential oil diffusers or beeswax candles scented only with essential oils.
Conventional cleaning products are another culprit of indoor air pollution. They often contain a multitude of chemicals that are known carcinogens, neurotoxins and hormone disruptors. Given this, an evaluation of the cleaning products is an important part of clearing the air in your home. The Environmental Working Group offers a Guide to Healthy Cleaning on their website. This is a great resource to find healthier cleaning products. Alternatively, it is easy to make your own at home with common household staples like vinegar, baking soda and essential oils.
Clean air in your home is essential to health and well-being. Everything we breathe affects our health in some way and the steps above are simple, cost effective ways to assist in clearing the air in your home.
Dr. Justin Hamel and Clara Hamel have a combined over 30 years of experience in health fields. Reach them at 1° Performance & Longevity, located at 900 South Main St., Suite A in Jacksonville, on Facebook or by phone at 217-243-6358.
