When you think about all the pollutants we breathe outside from the cars, factories, and businesses all around us it may come as a shock to know that in general, INDOOR air pollution is more likely to be a problem for us. Not only do the indoors have their own serious issues, as much as 25% of outdoor pollution can follow us indoors. Inside of doors you will actually find 2 to 5 times the amount of air pollution. Scary! Think about how many hours we spend inside. According to the graphic below it is 90% of our time.
What exactly are we breathing in during that 90%?
Dust mites, pollen, pesticide residue, carbon monoxide, pet dander, VOCs from furniture and paint, dust, mold, mildew, radon, carbon dioxide, car fumes, and much more. Yuck!
The healthy air checklist highlights some ways you can clean up indoor air and it serves as a great reminder about what products to avoid so we can make our homes less toxic. With a few changes in some of our habits and our consumer spending we can clean up our indoor air!
Indoor Air Pollution infographic from AirFilterBuy.com
Indoor air pollution is something I honestly worry a lot about. I always try to open doors and windows when I can to air out the house, but I still worry. Thanks for sharing this.
No wonder we are always sneezing! I need to eliminate more of our indoor triggers.
I try to use low allergen paints now (low VOC) and I use more natural products in my home and I think it makes a difference. Plus nothing beats Mother-in-Laws tongue as a natural air purifier. Still waiting for a wood framed TV to come on the market ;-)
What a great reminder to really do a good deep cleaning in the house and make sure we are cleaning our air filters on a regular basis. didn’t realize there were so many indoor triggers-thanks for sharing
Wow! This has made me rethink some of the things I am using. OUr indoor pollution is probably a little high.
I was having trouble with conventional air fresheners so I created my own green cleaning version by boiling cinnamon sticks, citrus peels, cloves and all spice. Oh, the house smells lovely!