Simple and natural remedies against home indoor pollution

How to purify our home air from possible indoor pollution with simple and 100% natural remedies, maintaining a healthier habitat, removing bad odours and protecting us from germs and annoying allergies.

Indoor pollution

There are many substances that can enter our homes and cause allergies, headaches, difficulty in breathing and the proliferation of germs and moulds. Some of these substances are natural – such as molds, fungi and mites -, others are human-made and we bring them into the house without realizing it. For example, formaldehyde, present in many cleaning products but also in construction materials. They may even be products that we use for cleaning, like bleach and acetone.

Ventilation

The first remedy for keeping the home air clean is also the simplest: airing.
A house with zero or poor ventilation is an environment that facilitates the increase of bacteria and mould, not mentioning bad smells. This is why it is necessary to create a recirculation or renewal of the internal air so as to oxygenate the rooms and get rid of any bacteria and toxic agents. It is also important when to do it: let’s prefer the early hours of the morning, a few minutes are enough. If we live in a city, we must be careful not to open the windows during the greatest traffic hours, in order to prevent external pollutants from entering the house.

Cleaning: what to clean and how

detersivi One does not often think about it, but the same products that we buy and use for cleaning can be a source of pollution: many are in fact harmful to our respiratory tract due to their volatile chemical composition – traces of formaldehyde, ammonia and trichlorethylene -, that can settle into our lungs. That’s why we must pay attention to what we buy, and look for ecological detergents. Follow the indications of the Italian consumers’ association Altroconsumo) or use traditional remedies like vinegar, baking soda or Marseille soap.
Cleaning the house does not just mean cleaning floors and surfaces: it is equally important to empty the cleaner so to eliminate toxins, germs and mites from furniture and carpets, and to regularly aerate coverings, cushions and mattresses.
In addition, it is good to be careful even when we repaint the house, preferring non-toxic paints.

Molds and moisture

Better to prevent mold stains by never hanging clothes inside the home and installing dehumidifiers that prevent the accumulation of humidity: unfortunately, we would have to remove them with invasive bleach products when they appear. An alternative solution is to use baking soda: first by pouring it into a container and leaving it in the desired environment – in addition to preventing the onset of humidity it also serves as a perfumer -, but also by rubbing it on wet areas and letting it act for a couple of hours in the case of appearance of molds.
Monitor the degree of humidity so as to act in time: it is sufficient to have a hygrometer, widely, widely available on the market.

Plants

felceA less obvious but not less effective remedy is also the most natural: fight indoor pollution with plants capable of absorbing many of the pollutants that may be present in our home.
Here is a short but useful list of plants that can do for us:

  • The spath (or peace lily) absorbs benzene, ammonia, formaldehyde, xylene, methanol, acetone and trichlorethylene (present in laser printers).
  • The Sansevieria (or mother-in-law’s tongue) eliminates the particles of benzene, trichlorethylene and xylene.
  • The Monstera can absorb substances such as benzene and formaldehyde.
  • The Boston fern absorbs solvent vapours, formaldehyde and cigarette smoke.
  • The Anthurium (or tailflower) absorbs ammonia, toluene, xylene and formaldehyde.

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