August 6th's Tip
Indoor Air Quality: When most people think of air pollution, they think of smog and other outdoor pollutants. Did you know, however, that indoor air pollution can be two to five times higher (and sometimes up to 100 times higher) than outdoor levels, and the EPA ranks poor indoor air quality among the top five environmental risks to public health? The EPA also says that research has indicated people spend 90% of our time indoors, so indoor air quality is an important thing to consider.
So what can we do to improve our indoor air quality? There are some simple steps (and some less simple ones) that can be taken, many of which you can do now.
- Get plants. Some plants remove dangerous toxins. Try spider plants, peace lilies (but be careful to keep these away from your cats as they are toxic to them), bamboo palms, or English ivy.
- Don't burn paraffin candles. These can release carcinogens into the air, and are said to be as bad for you as emissions from burning diesel fuel.
- Use natural cleaning products. This is obvious, and if you're a regular visitor here, you're probably already doing this, but it can help reduce the toxins in your indoor air versus conventional cleaners.
- No smoking! 'Nuff said.
- Keep up with maintenance. Keep your vents clean, and change the filters on your central air/heating or air conditioning units regularly. For central air, a washable filter is a great idea.
- Replace your decor. This one isn't viable for everyone, but if you are planning a flooring upgrade or any furniture replacements, do your research and choose non-toxic options (this means avoiding particleboard, PVC, chemically treated fabrics, and a number of flooring options). This includes paint - choose low or no VOC options - your lungs will thank you!
Visit The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality from the EPA for much more information!
Contribute
We are looking for reader submitted tips for Eco-Friendly Friday so we can share some even we may have not heard before. If you've got a unique or informative tip and want to contribute to Eco-Friendly Friday, shoot us an email. Be sure to include your URL if you want a link to your site included with your tip!
August 7th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Wow, what a lovely post. I didn't know that indoor air quality could be so bad for you!
August 8th, 2009 at 8:05 am
EXCELLENT tips for everyone to follow...I do all of them except the decor one...boo hiss...LOL
August 9th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
[...] is especially true if you live in an not so friendly climate – especially in the winter. Indoor Air Quality by Focus Organic gives us basic steps on how we can improve the air we [...]