You may be surprised to find out that indoor air routinely contains a higher level of chemicals than outdoor air. There are several simple steps that can be taken to improve your indoor air quality, which creates healthy living for the air you breathe daily.
What You Can Do, From Room to Room
Living Space with Healthy Air Quality
- Change the filter in your residential furnace and air conditioning system regularly. The Filtrete Ultra Allergen filter is endorsed by the American Lung Association and has a recommended change interval of three months.
- Regularly check and clean your home’s air ducts
- Change and clean the air filter and AC in your vehicles
- Clean indoor air with plants and air filters. Plants help to oxygenate the air we breathe, while filters help to remove impurities from indoor air.
Healthy Living Air During Your Home Build or Renovations
- Whenever possible, use nontoxic building materials and carpets
- Avoid sleeping in a room that has been recently carpeted as new carpet releases harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde into the air.
- Open windows and air the room out for at least a week before sleeping in it
- Replace any carpet with hardwoods
- When painting, use paint without off gassing and open windows during and after painting
Healthy Living in the Kitchen
- Open windows whenever possible to circulate air, especially when cooking
- When using your stovetop, utilize the exhaust fan to eliminate pollutants and grease or cooking fumes
Bedroom Healthy Air Improvements
Of particular importance is the bedroom environment, since each person spends between 7- 10 hours sleeping there each day. Making changes in this room alone can improve your breathing and overall lung health.
- If you have clothes that have been recently dry-cleaned, don’t hang them in your bedroom.
- If possible, replace carpet in the bedroom with wood floors. Carpet collects molds, fungi and other respiratory irritants. If you do have carpeting, vacuum regularly.
- Use hypoallergenic covers on pillows and mattresses to prevent inhaling any dead skin or even microscopic mold or bugs that can irritate already existing allergies.
- Utilize cleaning with green sanitation products
- Reduce our pets in the bedroom as they bring along shed hair and pet dander
By David Spitz D.C.
Dr David M. Spitz is the founder and clinic director of the Chiropractic Health Center of Bristol, located in Bristol, CT. Since 1982, he has treated thousands of patients for various conditions ranging from neck and back pain, to migraine headaches. He specializes in treating patients who have suffered whiplash injuries and/or back injuries in a motor vehicle accident.
Dr Spitz was a volunteer EMT-I and a lieutenant for several years at the Burlington Volunteer Fire Department. He has lectured throughout CT on various topics including, chiropractic, stress management, headaches and preventing back injury in the workplace.
