How do I clean my room air?
In this blog post, we will discuss “How do I clean my room air?” Firstly, we will discuss the basics of air pollution. And finally, the article will provide tips to improve the room’s air quality.
How do I clean my room air?
Indoor air pollution can mainly affect the respiratory system of the human body. Poor indoor air quality can cause mental disorders like anxiety, depression, and tiredness. You can improve the air quality for the room by the following steps:
- Keep your shoes off
- Avoid Carpeting if possible
- Frequent cleaning of furniture
- Keep the air flowing
- Use an alternative to commercial candles
- Frequent cleaning of bathroom
- Frequent cleaning of beddings
Let’s see the basics of air pollution.
What is air pollution?
The introduction of harmful agents into the atmosphere is known as air pollution. The toxic agents are known as pollutants. These pollutants are derived from natural and human activities, and they can be chemical or biological.
Major pollutants present in the air are particulate matter (PM), ground-level ozone (O3), NO2, SO2, and CO. Air also has lead, allergens, bacteria, viruses and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Besides climate change, air pollution has become a significant environmental risk to human health.
Therefore, striving towards minimising air pollution can also help to improve climate change mitigation efforts. In addition, reducing emissions will enhance the quality of air.
What do you generally mean by indoor air pollution?
Air pollution created inside a closed environment is called indoor air pollution. Many household activities such as heating, cooking, cleaning and other miscellaneous activities significantly contribute to indoor air pollution. Therefore, indoor pollution contributes to ambient air pollution. In addition, many regular household products such as cleaning sprays, varnish, paints, solvent removers, perfumes, tobacco smoke and incense stick can pollute the air.
Asbestos can also cause deterioration of indoor air. It is found in various products such as home construction materials, and they are commonly detected in paints, coatings, ceilings and floor tiles. Generally, the old products or older houses would be having more presence of this toxic material than the newer ones.
Asbestos can cause shortness of breath, loss of appetite, chest pain, tightness and persistence of dry cough. But the good news is that the United States has banned its use in construction activities and it’s no longer used. Formaldehydes group are colourless gas having a pungent smell. Even though its production has been banned in the United States since 1970, they are still found in paints, sealants and wooden floors. Carpets also use formaldehyde as permanent adhesives.
Radon is one such toxic agent which is found underneath homes. Radon is usually discovered in bedrock and other building materials that cause indoor air pollution. The gases from radon can seep through the basement and cause a significant risk to the residents. Tobacco smoke is also one of the neglected and concerning air pollutants. The study also revealed that pregnant women smoking cigarettes caused a potential threat to the fetus development; the smoke can cause molecular changes. In addition, the tobacco smoke exposure of the mothers caused hindrances in the lung development of the fetus. Researchers further analyzed that such children at early stages and later teens got asthma or experienced asthmatic problems.
You would like to keep fresh flowers keeping in your living room. You also would be having furry friends living with you. Though I am not very keen on plucking flowers or purchasing them to decorate my house, I love doggies and other furry pets. But they all come with one big drawback. They can produce biological pollutants such as pollens, mould, bacteria, viruses and animal dander, developing asthmatic symptoms in people.
Gas appliances such as heaters, wood stoves, space heaters, dryers, fireplaces and space heaters release hazardous pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulates. Carbon monoxide and particulates, as mentioned earlier, causes many respiratory and heart-related ailments. High levels of nitrogen dioxide can cause a hazard to the human respiratory tract. It can increase the susceptibility to various respiratory infections and asthma. Prolonged exposure to elevated amounts of nitrogen dioxide can result in chronic lung disease. It can also affect the smelling ability of humans.
The fumes released from the paraffin wax candles causes air to pollute. Research done by South Carolina State University said that paraffin wax releases toxic chemicals such as benzene and toluene indoors. Even the office stationeries such as copiers, laser printers, correction fluids, etc., release volatile organic compounds which deeply penetrate the lungs and inflame their linings. Besides, dry cleaned laundry clothes contain highly toxic substances such as trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene. All the pollutants, as mentioned earlier, can cause throat and nose irritation, flu, dizziness, anaemia and other allergic reactions. They can irritate your respiratory tract too. In addition, toxic chemicals can cause lung cancer and damage vital organs such as the liver, kidney and brain.
Air experts around the globe also suggest the use of beauty products can also contribute to air pollution. The majority of the cosmetics and perfumes available in the market contain toxic pollutants such as volatile organic compounds. These pollutants are released into the air when they are used. Thus, the fashion industry or the increased population using such products can significantly reduce air pollution.
Tips to clean my room air
Shoe Care
Before entering your room, you can place a doormat to wipe your slippers and feet. Your slippers and feet can carry dust particles into the house. You should avoid using shoes used outside as they contain lots of dust and mud. In addition, you should wash your feet before you land on the bed so that you don’t carry any dust on your bed.
Carpet Care
Carpets can add beauty and cosiness to your bedroom but, they can attract many airborne pollutants. Airborne pollutants such as allergens, pollutants and irritants can accumulate on the carpets. Further, it can get carried away by the air and linger in the room. Thus, you can feel coughing and sneezing when you inhale them. Therefore, I would strongly recommend carpeting a minimum floor area. Or if possible, you can avoid using carpets too. If your bedroom already has carpet, don’t worry. You should manage the cleanliness of the carpets effectively. It would be best to vacuum the carpet at least twice a week.
Cleaning Care
There’s a simple yet powerful saying- ‘cleanliness starts at home.’ Reducing indoor air pollution, the ones created due to indoor activities can significantly improve ambient air pollution. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 3.8 million deaths happen every year due to indoor air pollution.
You can decrease poor air quality by adequately maintaining indoor hygiene. For example, you can frequently clean your cupboards and open decks to avoid an accumulation of dust particles.
You can use safer products such as baking soda instead of harsh chemicals to clean the surfaces. You can prefer choosing more air-friendly products to clean indoors. For example, you can select water-based products or have a low presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It is vital to clean the glass windows. These glass windows of your room are exposed to many types of toxic pollutants externally. In addition, they also come in contact with indoor airborne contaminants. Therefore, it is necessary to clean the windows with eco-friendly cleaning agents. You can also paint your home walls with a brush rather than a sprayer.
Avoid using strong hair sprays. You can additionally use indoor plants to make your indoors more lively and fresh.
Plant Care
Indoor Plants, as said earlier, helps to purify indoor air quality. Firstly, due to the photosynthesis process, they inhale all carbon dioxide and, in return, supply fresh oxygen indoors. Many scientists have observed that these plants remove toxins too. In addition, these plants can absorb all cancer-causing volatile organic compounds such as formaldehyde and benzene. These indoor plants are also easy to maintain.
The indoor plants which I recommend are as follows:
Furniture care
Polishing substances like varnish contain toxic acetone and volatile organic compounds. Thus, you should avoid using these products in a bedroom having no ventilation system. If you ever want to use them, make sure that you use them in a well-ventilated room, and there is enough circulation of air to move away from these toxic substances from the house. Also, I recommend that if you are varnishing your furniture, try doing it in your backyard and let it dry outside for a while. Exposure to such kinds of pollutants can cause lung problems and cancer.
If you buy a new sofa or armchair, it will produce VOCs such as toluene and benzene at heavy intensity, but it will eventually reduce. If possible for you, you can keep these newly purchased products in your garage for a short duration, say for a week or so. Don’t worry if you don’t have a garage or any backyard. You can at least keep the windows of your room open most of the days in the first few months.
I love to decorate my bedroom. I also like to add new cute artifacts and upgrade furniture pieces. But, I suggest you be practical and plan while choosing and buying such items. Try to arrange your furniture and other accessories in a spacious manner; don’t clutter them. Reducing clutter can decrease dust accumulation, bacteria, mould, mites, and fungi. The presence of cockroaches can increase the risk of asthma. Minimizing clutter of furniture can significantly mitigate indoor air pollution. I also feel that soft boards in your kid’s bedroom can accumulate fine and ultrafine dust particles. Such accumulated dust and pollutants can trigger asthmatic symptoms in your children and irritate their lungs. Instead, you can use metal wall grids to pin up the important notes and drawings. In addition, you can also use these metal wall grids to decorate the room walls. You can clean this wall grid with a damp cloth and improve the air quality in your room.
Ventilation Care
Always make sure that you are keeping your house well ventilated. It would be best if you keep the doors of your balconies and windows open whenever the weather permits. Volatile Organic Compounds such as toluene and benzene are often detected on items such as glues, paints, fabrics and many other construction materials. These construction materials can usually be found in your bedroom. Therefore, it is better to keep your room well-ventilated.
If the weather is not allowing for natural air to pass through your home, you need to use air purifiers. Air purifiers help to maintain a healthy atmosphere in the house. It is okay with air purifiers to invest in good humidifiers and dehumidifiers. They allow you to balance the humidity levels indoors. You must be wondering which to buy. Don’t worry; I am providing its detail in the coming solutions.
Keep a tab on appliances health
If you are using all these appliances and chimneys and exhaust fans, it is necessary to maintain them properly. The dust and dirt can get accumulated and clogged in these machines. This can reduce their efficiency. Thus, it is essential to clean the filters and ducts of these appliances at regular intervals to reduce indoor air pollution.
Air purifiers
Air purifiers help to improve indoor air quality. The risk of getting air pollution-related diseases decreases due to air purifiers. Air purifiers having good HEPA filters do an adequate job of filtering pollutants.
Air Purifiers I recommend are as follows:
| Name | Why I recommend it |
| Blueair Pro XL Air Purifier | ● 99.7% of airborne pollutants such as mould, allergens, smoke particles and pollens are captured. |
| AIRMEGA 400S | ● Reduction of 99.97% of particulates of 0.3 microns.● Also responsible for reducing more than 99% of VOCs, NH3 and CH3CHO.● Washable and permanent pre-filters are available |
| Blueair Pure 121 | ● Includes 3-part filtration system.● Captures 99% of common airborne PM 2.5 pollutants such as allergens, odours, smoke, mould spores, dust mites and pet dander.● An activated carbon filter removes common odours caused by smoke, pets, and gases (VOCs) and smoke caused by wildfires. |
Humidifiers
The humidity levels in the office should be maintained between 30 and 50% in the office. This range helps keep dust mites, mould and other allergens under control. In addition, when AC or heater makes the air in the room dry, humidifiers can maintain correct humidity levels.
Humidifiers I recommend
| Name | Why I recommend it |
| Amazon Basics Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier | ● 4 litre of tank capacity● Auto shut-off feature and 12 or 24-hour timer settings● It can be used in both seasons |
| MOVTIP Humidifier | ● Portable Mini-humidifier● 500 ml capacity, still produces longer mists● Easy to operate |
| LEVOIT Humidifier | ● It can be used for both seasons● 6 litres of capacity● Easy to clean and has a remote control |
Dehumidifiers
Dehumidifiers also work similarly to humidifiers. It controls the high levels of humidity in the office.
Dehumidifiers I recommend
| Name | Why I recommend it |
| Pro Breeze Dehumidifier | ● Can extract 50 pints of moisture a day● Energy-saving auto-off system● Built-in Humidity sensor |
| HOmeLabs Dehumidifier | ● Eliminates moistness, odour controller● Easy to clean● Removable water tank |
| TCL Portable Dehumidifier | ● 20 pints of moisture removed per day● It can be operated at low temperatures too● Easy to maintain |
Air Ionizer
Air ionizers are machines that eliminate airborne pollutants using negative ions. The main job of this machine is to help the particles settle and then gather out of the air. Unfortunately, the negative ions released from the ionizers attach to microscopic particles such as tobacco smoke. This results in electrically charged particles clumping together on the surfaces like walls, ceilings, carpets, rugs, etc. However, once they are landed, they need to be cleaned up.
The ozone produced from ionizers can deactivate viruses in the air and surfaces. However, ozone can irritate and cause throat irritation, lung inflammation, and asthma. So, I suggest using this device only when you feel it is needed.
Bathroom Care
Your bathroom can be a home to many varieties of filthy air pollutants such as volatile organic compounds, hydrogen sulphide and particulates. Thus, I would strongly recommend you to use ventilators in the bathrooms and toilets to remove foul odour and accumulation of viruses and bacteria, if any.
Make sure that your bathroom is clean and always dry. Moisture in the bathroom can attract moulds and mildew, which causes cough and cold-like symptoms. You will also feel unpleasant while entering the bathroom. Therefore, it would be best to clean toilets and frequently sinks with air-friendly cleaning agents such as Biokleen.
Water leaks from showers and taps can add to moisture and humidity in the air inside bathrooms and the kitchen. Moisture content and humidity can increase the risk of moulds and mildew. Moulds contain tiny particles which can penetrate the body and lead to illnesses like colds, persistent coughs and fungal infections. Thus, you should check the leaks from plumbers; this will reduce such presence of moulds.
Bedroom Care
Your bedsheet and curtains might contain dust particles, minute volatile organic compounds and pet dander. These can get suspended in the atmosphere, and you can inhale them without your knowledge. Thus, washing the bedding once a week in hot water is necessary to remove all the dirt and dust particles.
Pet Care
It’s essential to keep your furry friends clean and happy. Regular bathing will help their skin breathe. Unfortunately, the pet fur and dander can float inside the room and settle on the carpets, clothing, furniture and other open decks. These can cause an allergic reaction and asthmatic symptoms. Besides, pet allergies can have various symptoms such as runny nose, shortness of breath and coughing.
For instance, give your doggies a nice bath with hypoallergenic shampoo and conditioner. These products can keep them safe from indoor air pollution and help keep the room clean of pet fur and dander. Pollens and allergens might get stuck in their hair and further absorbed by the skin. This can result in various infections and can prevent air pollution too. Keep them well-groomed.
Odour Care
You might feel like using room fresheners or artificial fragrances to avoid the musty smell caused at home. But trust me, mixing synthetic odours with the existing ones will only worsen the house’s air quality. This is because the artificial fresheners contain VOCs and phthalates. These pollutants can harm the respiratory system.
To reduce the foul odour of the house, some beneficial oils like tea tree oil have antibacterial properties. This oil can be used to reduce airborne bacteria. You just require good quality electric diffuser to lessen the filthy pollutants. I will give you a list of some of the essential oils below:
The commercial candles contain paraffin wax which releases toluene and benzene, carcinogenic. In addition, the wicks of these candles have lead. You can replace these candles with natural beeswax candles, reducing indoor air pollution.
If your house or room is located in the basement, there are chances of radon gas lingering in the air. The fastest way to get rid of radon is to increase airflow in your house. For example, you can open windows and use fans and vents to grow fresh air circulation.
This will highly reduce the levels of radon gas. The US EPA has the most reliable radon reduction method like active sub-slab suction like sub-slab-depressurization. Here, suction pipes are inserted through the floor slab into the crushed rock. Besides, these can also be inserted below concrete slab from outside the home. Moreover, to remove asbestos from the house, you need to contact asbestos contractors for removing it from the house.
Don’t smoke in the home
Smoking cigarettes, hookahs (shisha), electric vape or any other types of cigars are not at all suitable for your health. I strongly recommend of stop smoking indoors and outdoors too. Active and passive smoking directly exposes harmful pollutants to your body. This causes the risk to your respiration and other organs dependent on it. Besides, cigarette butts can trigger particulate pollution. Moreover, smoke associated with tobacco and other smoking goods produces innumerable cancer-causing substances which are not suitable for human health of all ages- right from womb to older adults.
Other FAQs about Air Quality that you may be interested in.
How do humans cause pollution?
How can you prevent air pollution?
Conclusion
In this blog post, we discussed “How do I clean my room air?” Firstly, we discussed the basics of air pollution. And finally, the article provided tips to improve the room’s air quality.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): How do I clean my room air?
How does the air get polluted?
Air pollution can occur in multiple ways. Human activities such as the transportation sector, industrial processes, and combustion of fossil fuels generate particulates and other toxic gases such as sulphur and nitrogen oxides. Natural events also create air pollution. Some of the instances are volcanic eruptions and dust storms.
What are the causes of air pollution?
The causes of air pollution are as follows:
- The burning of fossil fuels
- Indoor Air pollution
- Wildfires
- Decomposition
- Vehicular pollution
- Construction and demolition activities
Which produces the most pollution?
The burning of fossil fuels for electricity, heat and transportation is the most produced pollution. These activities are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. GHG emissions from the transportation sector come from cars, trucks, ships, trains and aeroplanes.
Which country is carbon negative?
Bhutan country is the only country in the world to become carbon negative.
Which country has the highest and least emissions?
China has the highest emissions; they are the most significant contributor of CO2 emissions. In contrast, Tuvalu country has the lowest carbon footprint in the world. They continue to be in such a state by avoiding fossil fuels.
Who leads the world in air pollution?
China leads the world in air pollution. The United States and India follow this.
Reference
25+ Easy and effective ways to reduce indoor air pollution. Conserve Energy Future. Available at: https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/easy-and-effective-ways-to-reduce-indoor-air-pollution.php
50 ways to clean the air – riverside, California. Available at: https://www.riversideca.gov/air/pdf/50-ways.pdf
Farrell, M.H.J., 14 ways to reduce indoor air pollution. Consumer Reports. Available at: https://www.consumerreports.org/indoor-air-quality/ways-to-reduce-indoor-air-pollution/
Improving Indoor Air Quality. EPA. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/improving-indoor-air-quality
Kirschner, C., 12 ways to get Clean Air Without Chemicals. Treehugger. Available at: https://www.treehugger.com/ways-get-clean-air-without-chemicals-4864310