Breathe Easier: How to Improve Indoor Air Quality

I'm sure you know that the air inside your home usually contains more pollutants than the outside air. Eventually, I will invest in a good air purifier, but I'm a bit of a tightwad right now, sohere's what I do in the meantime.


HouseplantsNot only do houseplants add life and beauty to your living space, they filter out tons of toxins from the air. I have a peace lily, boston fern, marginata (I called this thing a margarita for weeks until I actually looked at the tag...), and a majesty palm. I'm not exaggerating when I say I could tell an immediate difference in the air.
My Houseplants -left to right- Peace lily, Marginata, Boston Fern, and Majesty Palm

Throw Out Your Chemicals (in a responsible way)
Some of the leading contributors to indoor air pollution are the chemicals we use to clean. Make your own or buy a green products instead. Read the labels, if they don't list ingredients, don't use them. Some red flag ingredients include:

• phenols (toilet cleaners and disinfectants)
  
• nonylphenol ethoxylate (surfacant in detergents and cleaners)
• diethylene glycol (mainly in window cleaners)
• butyl cellosolve /ethylene glycol monobutyl/butyl glycol-(all kinds of cleaners)
• triclosan-(antibacterial cleaners)
• sodium lauryl sulfate/sodium laureth sulfate-(soaps, detergents, and bath products)

Chances are, if the company uses these things, they will not be listing their ingredients. The exceptions are:

• Ammonia-For some reason, companies like to advertise "with ammonia d." It doesn't make the product better, only more dangerous...don't buy it.
• Bleach-Companies use bleach because it's cheap. Instead use hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, or tea tree oil.

Throw out the chemicals! You can use baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and just plain soap to clean most surfaces in your house. Get some microfiber cloths and ditch the paper towels

Clear Your House of PVC and MDF
I'll admit, I still have a little, but I'm replacing everything eventually...and I thought I was a genuis for using pvc for a curtain rod for my 10 foot wide window. Oh, and I have a desk made of MDF...I can only claim ignorance at the time.

My solution to a big window without using pvc or spending $150...and iron plumbing pipe...$20.


My MDF desk...I painted it with low VOC paint though...does that make it any better? (And yes, those are Sharpies in that jar, but I love them and don't want to look up how bad they are...)

PVC-Polyvinyl chloride releases toxins into your air. Any plastic with a recycle symbol with a 3 in it contains PVC...weed it out. Shower curtains, too. A hemp shower curtain won't allow water to leak through, so you don't have to worry about the plastic liner. Plus, they naturally resists bacteria and mold, so even though it gets wet, it won't grow anything yucky. Kinda pricey ($70-$100), but you'll never have to buy a liner again. If your a sewer, there's 100% hemp fabic from $17-$35 a yard.
MDF-Medium density fiberboard is made by binding wood particles together. They use a resin to do the binding, and the resin contains formaldehyde. MDF is dangerous stuff, especially the dust created from cutting. Instead, spend a few bucks more and spring for real wood.

Other (perhaps more obvious) tips

• Vacuum and dust regularly-Don't forget your mattress and upholstered furniture
  
• Change (or clean) your air filter-Depending on the type, do every 1-4 months. I use a washable one and wash it every month or two depending on the season (less in spring and fall because the unit isn't on as much)
• Don't smoke inside-Does this need an explanation?
• Open your house up-Don't let the air in your home get stagnant. Open up the house as often as you can.

Happy breathing!