We are the ‘Indoor Generation!’
My husband just went to Anthropologie in downtown Bethesda and brought home a beautiful plant for our living room. His motive wasn’t just to beautify our home. He had something else in mind as well.
We had recently seen this powerful 3 minute video on the ‘Indoor Generation’. Yes, that is us. You and me! I was disturbed to learn that Americans spend on average 90% of their lives indoor with minimal daylight and fresh air! Not only that, but the air inside our homes is at least 5 times more polluted than the air outside? This will without a doubt affect our health and well-being. So what can we do?
Well for starters, if you own a dog, the pooch has likely lessened your indoor time significantly already. I know mine has! 😉 And thankfully, Spring has sprung which inevitably means we’ll all be spending more time outdoors as nature continues to entice us with warmer temperatures, beautiful new leaves and colorful flowers.
Moreover, time spent indoors will continue to be a big part of our lives. Here are 5 simple yet powerful strategies to improve the air you breathe day in and day out inside your home. See strategies here.
According to the NASA Guide to air filtering house plants, these are awesome air-cleaners:
- Peace Lily
- Variegated Snake Plant
- Dwarf Date Palm
- Kimberly Queen Fern
- Weeping Fig
- Flamingo Lily
- Lilyturf
- Boston Fern
- Spider Plant
- Chinese Evergreen
- Bamboo Palm
- Broadleaf Lady Palm
- Baarberton daisy
- Cornstalk Dracaena English Ivy
- Chrysanthemum
2. Upgrade your household cleaners
No more Lysol or Fabreeze Air fresheners, Clorox, and other harsh chemicals that pollute our indoor air. Check out EWG’s list of products that make the ‘Hall of Shame’ list and and upgrade to true and tried cleaning products.
3. Add a High Quality Air Filter to your HVAC system.
These are known to reduce up to 70% of air pollutant particles in the air. However, make sure your system has been serviced recently. You can also look to getting your HVAC system cleaned as these tend to get very dusty. If the systems are moldy or have other allergens, the air filter may not be helping you. And remember that a good air filter reduces the need for frequent dusting and vacuuming (sorry!), which is an important means of removing all of the yukky chemical particles and allergens from the home. Air filters have a numerical rating, so go for the 1,500 range.
4. Invest in an Air Purifier
If you have family members who struggle with respiratory issues such as allergies, it may be a good idea to combine #3 with a stand-alone Air Purifier to keep in the bedroom and or areas of the house where you spend the most amount of time. Air Doctor is one that has come highly recommended to me. It’s on my wish list. Having an air purifier by a window will also make you feel more comfortable opening your windows for fresh air in spite of some pollen in the air.
Whlie pollen may be an issue now, it is a good idea to open your windows throughout the house on a regular basis. Cool breezes will help to flush out toxins in the home and immediately improve air quality.
I hope these tips will inspire you to get your Spring Cleaning going! On that note, I’m excited to tell you that I have opened up the registration for my Signature Detox Program. The 10 Day Spring Detox will begin on April 29th and go through May 8th. Early bird registration is available through April 9th. Here’s to you enjoying all of what Spring has to offer! Be well,
Linda