During the winter months, you shut your doors and windows tightly to keep the cold air out, but that means you also keep the bad air in and so indoor air pollution is at its highest. The air in your home is full of toxins from cleaning supplies, mould, and beauty products that need circulating or filtering out. If your house is over 20 years old your wellbeing also may be at risk to lead-based paint or asbestos. It might be safer to take the whole family outside! Fortunately, there’s something else you can do.
When you stop indoor air pollutants at the door, you protect your family’s wellness from indoor air pollution. Start by replacing your central air and heating filters every month, cleaning the vents and make sure they’re not blocked by furniture. Also, make your home a no-smoking zone and try to keep certain rooms in the house, like a nursery or bedroom, pet-free so the areas where you are sensitive won’t be covered in pet dander and tracked-in dirt. Your chimney could also seriously risk your wellness, as smoke backs up in a sooty flue and is pushed back into your home. You might want to consider hiring a professional chimney sweep, or learning how to do it yourself for the wellbeing of your family and Father Christmas!
When it comes to your shopping list, be careful about buying candles as many release harmful chemical components and artificial scents as the candle burns. Instead, why not try beeswax or soy candles, or even making your own? You should fill your home with plants that will battle the toxins for you, and keep the air fresh. Also, cleaning products are perhaps the worst air polluter of them all, and you can get non-toxic versions of your favourite products in shops. You can also make simple, cheap and effective cleaners at home from vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice and a few other natural ingredients. Also, vacuum your carpets, rugs and upholstery as often as you are able to clear your home of dust, pet dander and any other pollutants. Once your carpets are toxin-free, don’t bring anymore in with you – remove your shoes at the door.
No one likes being cooped up in winter, especially if you have a cold, but you can at least make the hours you spend indoors fresh ones, and then all you have to worry about is Jack Frost.