We’re all spending more time at home these days – and a lot of us are cooking and cleaning more. Now is a great time to practice habits that keep indoor air safe and keep us healthy at home.
The following tips will help you increase air quality and lessen those allergy responses (think sneezing or watery eyes!):
- Open your windows while deep cleaning, especially when using chemicals like bleach. Most cleaners release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are not good for us to breathe, especially if we’re already suffering from respiratory illness. Also, be mindful not to mix bleach with acid-containing or ammonia-containing chemicals. Dangerous amounts of chlorine or other toxic gases can be released.
- Avoid harsh chemicals for cleaning when possible. Breathing these in as they react and release into the air is not good for our lungs. Remember, the CDC states that good ole soap and water will kill the virus. Soap completely dissolves the cell membrane, killing the virus, and is harmless to us humans. So always consider soap and water where it makes sense!
- Open your windows, or turn on the fan above your stovetop, when cooking. Cooking can release particulate matter into the air, which is not good for us to breathe. Diluting this particulate matter with outside air, or having the fan pull this air out of your home completely, can help keep indoor air healthy. Keep in mind that while you open windows, you can turn off heating / cooling (weather permitting) so that you’re not spending extra energy and money.
Now is also a good time to start thinking about ways to properly seal and insulate your home. Because studies have shown that 50 percent of the air you breathe firsts travels through that crawl space before entering your home, this is an important step in improving air quality and saving energy.
With sixty-seven percent of homes built before 1990, and 25 percent being mobile homes, much of Appalachian Kentucky has a poor and aging housing stock. Additionally, as our areas get wetter and hotter because of climate change, indoor air quality will worsen. To learn more How$mart Kentucky and other programs available to help you and other Eastern Kentuckian homeowners or renters, contact Chris Woolery at cwoolery@mtassociation.org.
