Coming from everyday activities and household objects as well as the products that we use day-to-day, the most common indoor pollutants are things like carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, second hand smoke, asbestos and mould to name but a few. These all create poor air quality which can have a negative impact on our health. For example, exposure to too much radon (a naturally occurring pollutant caused when the earth breaks down its own uranium) can increase your risk of lung cancer and exposure to higher than normal levels of carbon monoxide can even cause death.

There’s no escaping the fact that indoor pollution is a health hazard – so what can you do to ensure the air quality in your home is as healthy as possible?

The most important solution is to open windows! Simple but effective, this will ensure that stale air (along with its pollutants) is moved through the house and replaced with oxygen rich, fresh air. Opening your windows for as little as five minutes a day can make a huge difference so even in winter when it’s chilly, you can still create a healthier air quality without catching a cold! Banish indoor pollution with something that takes mere seconds.

Another great way to keep the air in your home healthy is to invest in some great and well-chosen house plants. The right ones can detoxify your home and clean the air you breathe – but chose well as they all offer different things and only some will remove potentially damaging airborne toxins.

For example, English Ivy plants are great for the bathroom and WC, and Spider Plants are great all-rounders that battle multiple toxins such as carbon monoxide and various other daily found solvents. Another great choice is Aloe Vera which is perfectly placed on a sunny kitchen windowsill and purifies air of the toxins found in things like detergents and varnishes.

If you’re keen on scenting your home, a great way to help ensure the air quality is still good for you, is to switch out your favourite candles to beeswax versions.

The science behind this is quite complex but basically beeswax particles are better for the air and they clean it while floating around – no more indoor pollution. It also means that getting your home scent just right is no longer causing harm. You can also use essential oil diffusers for a natural fragrance but also because they bring the same nurturing properties to the air in your home. For example, eucalyptus and rosemary both reduce dust mites and tea tree oil has antibacterial properties.

Mould is something you may not think of when you consider indoor air pollution but actually it’s a really common cause. The fungus release spores that’s really harmful for those with allergies such as asthma and it’s not good to breathe it in. You’ll commonly find mould in bathrooms or dark, unventilated rooms. Again, keeping windows open and creating a better air flow should help, otherwise ensure you’ve used natural, chemical-free products to remove it at the source.

Seeing as there’s no law to declare the ingredients in cleaning products, it’s easy to think you’re free of risk when partaking in your weekly clean. But you’re not. The chemicals and toxins within all those fluorescent bottles under the sink are super harmful to your health and wellbeing, as well as being major contributors to poor air pollution in the home. Switch out your toxic bottles to natural alternatives like our range of plant-based cleaning products and you’ll still retain an excellent cleaning level without any risk to your health or to the air quality in your home.

So, if you’re looking to ensure that your home is as pollution free as possible then these tips should all help to secure a better air quality level. With hidden dangers everywhere in the home and coming from naturally occurring instances that we can’t change either, it’s so vital to protect your home air quality and fight indoor pollution in as many ways as possible. And you’ll be the one to reap the rewards!

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