One major cause of indoor pollution is the unnecessary use of home decorating and air cleaning products. Volatile organic compounds also known as (VOCs) disperse from a lot of these products, causing the level of pollutants in indoor air to be more than 100 times higher than outdoors. You can reduce the level of pollutants in your house by taking into consideration the following suggestions.
You can open up the windows of your home on the next sunny day and let out all the pollutants that have converged there. Because scented cleaning products and synthetic room fresheners contain such a high percentage of VOCs, they should be avoided. They not only poison the air, they can also provoke skin, eye and respiratory reactions and harm the natural environment. Put a vase of flowers in an area where a refreshing and natural scent is desired.
A report conducted some ten years ago by New Scientist revealed surprising data about aerosol sprays and air fresheners. In homes where these products were utilized on a regular basis, mothers suffered 25 percent more headaches and were 19 percent more prone to experience depression; and infants below six months of age had 30 percent more ear infections and 22 percent higher cases of diarrhea.
Users should know about the practice of "green washing" before they go to purchase "green" cleaning alternatives. Just because the word "natural" may appear on a label does not necessarily make it so, and the consumer must be aware of this. The word is not only vague; it is also unregulated and can be applied to anything and everything without qualification. Focus should be directed solely on eco-friendly components listed on the product label as indicated by David Steinman the co-author of The Safe Shopper's Bible. Some of these include: grain alcohol, coconut or other plant oils in detergents and plant-oil disinfectants such as eucalyptus, rosemary or sage.
Homemade cleaners can also be very effective. By combining water, baking soda, plain soap, vinegar, washing soda (sodium carbonate), lemon juice, and borax, you can make a safe and effective home cleaner. Keep away from hazardous cleaning products, which according to Philip Dickey of the Washington Toxics Coalition, include: corrosive drain cleaners, oven cleaners, acidic toilet-bowl cleaners, and anything with chlorine or ammonia (which can be fatal if combined).
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