Improve Your Indoor Air

hether you’re getting ready for baby, or want to make some clean, “green” choices after bringing baby home, improving the air quality in your home is important. 

Here Healthy Child Healthy World shares a checklist on how to make the environment in your home as safe as possible for your entire family.

• Open your windows.
   
  Chemicals build up in your home if there is no ventilation. By opening your windows, you will let fresh air in and allow polluted air a way to exit.
   
• Reduce dust and other particles on your floor.
  
  Twice a week, use a damp mop or use a vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter. HEPA filters capture 95 percent of all particles. Consider replacing wall-to-wall carpeting, a pollutant trap, with washable area rugs. 
   
• Avoid all chemical pesticides.
  
  Pesticides are poisons. There are safer alternatives to keep pests under control.
   
• Stop using aerosol sprays.
   
  Aerosol sprays, such as deodorants, hair sprays, carpet cleaners, furniture polish, and air fresheners, spew invisible droplets of chemicals into the air. They irritate airways. Some of the solvents in them may even be toxic to your child's developing brain.
   
• Limit or avoid the use of kerosene and gas space heaters, wood-burning stoves, and fireplaces.
  
  The burning of fuels and wood emit gases and particles that can damage the lungs and trigger asthma attacks. Clean the flue and chimney annually. Burn only hardwoods, not pine, printed paper, or particleboard. For more ways to keep your fires burning clean, see How to Build a Safer Fire.  
  
  Remember to always get some fresh air by opening a window or using an exhaust fan when cooking with your gas stove.
   
• Make your home a tobacco-free zone.
  
  There are more than 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke. Medical research shows that second-hand smoke increases a child's risk of developing ear and respiratory infections, asthma, cancer, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
   
• Install carbon monoxide alarms.
  
  Place carbon monoxide alarms outside of bedrooms to alert you when carbon monoxide from the furnace, gas stove, or garage reaches dangerous levels. 
   
• Leave pollutants at the door.
  
  Wipe your feet on a doormat or remove your shoes before coming inside. This will reduce the amount of pesticides and other pollutants that you track inside onto carpets and floors.
   
• Keep humidity in your home low.
  
  Mold and dust mites can't grow if humidity falls below 50 percent. You can measure your humidity on a hygrometer, available at hardware stores. Repair leaky plumbing, and ventilate after showering. Dehumidifiers and air conditioners help in areas that are consistently damp. 
   
• Use least-toxic, mild, or non-toxic household cleaners.
  
  Extra-strength cleaners may contain acids and other corrosive ingredients that can burn skin and irritate airways. Instead, use basic kitchen ingredients or buy "green" cleaners that are made with less toxic ingredients.