How To Purify The Air In Your Home
We all know the air quality in Shanghai can get a little horrendous at times, but it doesn’t just stop as soon you walk through your front door. Indoor air quality is just as important to you and your family’s health as wearing a mask outdoors on high pollution days.
When it comes to purifying the air at home, it’s important to keep pollution out, and ensure that your house is well-ventilated.
Follow these tips to get started on purifying the air youbreathe every day.
AVOID OVERUSING PESTICIDES
If you spot a cockroach, don’t go all trigger happen on the pesticides! These harmful chemicals may cause added health dangers to children and pets. Some pesticides can even trigger allergic reactions and worsen asthma.
Blocking holes, keeping food stored correctly, covering trash cans and keeping floors free from crumbs are much cleaner ways to keep bugs at bay
BEWARE OF DRY CLEANING CHEMICALS
Dry cleaning solvents may be great for your clothes, but can be toxic to your lungs. If you get your clothes dry cleaned, let them air outdoors before bringing them inside to prevent chemicals from entering yourhome.
CLEAN YOUR AIR CONDITIONER
High humidity is a real problem when it comes to indoor air,and one of the biggest problems could be lying in your air conditioning unit.Dismantle your air conditioner and take a look at the filter. Chances are it’sblack and damp, so run a shower over it to clean away the dirt and allow to drybefore reinstalling.
STOP PEOPLE SMOKING
Pretty obvious, but often overlooked. If you don’t want your home to smell like an ashtray, don’t let people use it as an ashtray! There is no safe level of secondhand smoke so ask smokers to take it outside.
FIX LEAKS
Rain and high humidity can bring moisture indoors, which canlead to mold and mildew. Dampness alone is enough to significantly increase thechances of developing wheezing, coughing and asthma. Check your windows andceilings to catch leaks or moisture problems.
HOUSE PLANTS
Houseplants are the cheapest, easiest and greenest way toclean the air in your home. All plants are effective, but some more so thanothers. Look for spider plants, ficuses, snake plants (aka mother-in-law'stongue) and the bamboo palms.
Some like the peace lily or the dracaena, however, are toxicto pets and children, so do your homework before introducing new greenery intoyour home.
SALT LAMP
These natural lamps absorb surrounding water molecules andother foreign particles, like dust, pollen and smoke. As the light heats up, the water molecules evaporate back into the air without all the dirty contaminants, which remain locked up inside the salt. You can easily find one on Taobao.
BAMBOO CHARCOAL
Bamboo charcoal comes from pieces of bamboo plants,harvested after at least five years, and burned in ovens. The porous structureof the charcoal helps to remove pollutants and dehumidify the air. A 500g bagis enough to clean the air in one whole room and you can find them on Taobao.
AIR PURIFIERS
What’s the best way to purify a room? Buy an air purifier! Look for a nit which has a HEPA filter for the best results. Fortunately for us here in China, the market is saturated with good options so bear in mind brandssuch as Blueair, Tipon and Mila who offer subscription options that run two-years with new filters delivered automatically every three months.