Your Home May Be More Polluting Than You Imagine

How often we talk about pollution on the streets and roads whether it is smoke, dust, noxious fumes from vehicles, pungent smell from garbage deposited on the wayside. The other day when some visitors were coming to our house, we re-arranged and cleaned up the home. There was enormous amount of dust on the leaves of fans, behind dressing tables, cupboards that our servant overlooked. Not to speak of dust settled in open book shelves. 

Vacuum cleaners are now very common in households but to clean up inaccessible areas you first need to move the furniture or equipment to clear the dust and other harmful materials.

Dust inside the house can cause lung infections, bronchial asthma, throat infections and several other health issues.

Dust is not the only pollutant that is harmful to us inside our home. These days, mosquito menace forces us to use mosquito coils, liquid mosquito repellants contain harmful chemical allethrin whose exposure for longer hours can cause harm even as it may drive away musquitoes for sometime.

Now air freshners are used in both A/C and Non A/c Rooms to give a fresh odor but they contain harmful substances such as Dichlorobenzene, a known carcinogen. It can as be found on toilet deodorizers, moth balls. It creates an illusion of freshness by destroying our sense of smell, says analysts.

Conventional floor cleaners may contain phenyl and other such chemicals that can cause respiratory problems, skin irritations, dizziness, asthmatic attacks. Insect repellants are chemical intensive and likely to cause harm to the occupants.

Deodorants could also cause damage to skin and respiratory system. They contain carcinogens such as aluminium compounds, triclosan, parabens, propylene glycol among others.

Compared to outdoors, indoors can be more polluting as there is nothing to absorb the release of such substances. Trees, plants and grass can act as natural traps for dust, heat and pollutants outdoors.

How to ensure pollution free interiors

Chemical intensive nature of substances used for cleaning and purification of rooms have a negative impact on our health.

Here are some ways to reduce chemical use and pollution at home.

1)Have the rooms and walls dusted using a vaccum cleaner regularly

2)Fans, Lamps and interior decoration articles should be periodically cleaned to clear dust accumulated
3) Use mild, less chemical intensive floor cleaners and herbal alternatives to insect repellants.

4) Use mild deodorants, perfumes, air freshners that are not carcinogenic in nature.

5) Ensure walls are repainted every 3-5 years.

6)Keep windows, doors open for some time during the day to enable fresh air inside even if it is an airconditioned room.

7) Use quality paint for doors, windows and walls.  Powder coated materials last longer and hence easy to maintain.