Winter Indoor Air Quality: Why It's Important (And How to Freshen and Detox Your Air)
With winter on the way, we bundle up. Close our windows. And light our cozy fireplaces. Yet our attempts to insulate ourselves from the cold weather outside usually means we’re also sealing a lot of toxic air into our home. In fact, the U.S. CDC warns that indoor air during the winter can be significantly more toxic and polluted than the air outdoors. This can lead to significant problems for our immune system, our lungs, and our general health. Today, we’ll explore how to clean up your indoor air and detox your home.
The Problem With Poor Winter Indoor Air Quality
The health effects of polluted indoor air start off innocently enough. Many of us simply confuse our symptoms with allergies or being sick. Common signs that your home’s air might need a detox includes:
- Dry eyes
- Dry throat
- Dry sinuses
- Headaches
- Itchy eyes
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Headaches
However, if left untreated, polluted indoor air can lead to even more serious problems. Examples include:
- Cancer (common indoor pollutants, such as radon, are known human carcinogens)
- Respiratory diseases
- Weakened immune system
- Hypersensitivities to allergies
- Heart disease
What Are Common Indoor Pollutants You Need to Detox?
Just because you clean your home often, and dust and sweep and mop, doesn’t mean your home isn’t continuously building up high levels of indoor toxins. Sources of indoor pollutants present in many homes include:
- Furniture, since treated wood and upholstery often emits fumes for months if not years
- Paint and flooring
- Appliances, such as your gas stove
- Biological pollutants, such as mold
- Pet dander
- Cleaning products, pesticides, air fresheners, etc.
How to Detox Your Indoor Air This Winter
You might not be able to fling your windows open to let in fresh air, but you can still freshen up the indoor air you breathe with a few detox approaches:
- Install a carbon monoxide alarm throughout your home
- Run the overhead vent when cooking on your stove or using your oven
- Run the bathroom fans whenever you’re showering or bathing
- Set up a dehumidifier to keep indoor winter moisture levels down and prevent mold growth
- Decorate your home with live houseplants, which help to naturally freshen your home
- Use only green, organic cleaning products
- Run a HEPA air filter in all living spaces, and ensure the filters are rated for the area’s square footage
Don’t forget to arm your body with the nutrients and supplements it needs to better withstand the immune-weakening effects of toxic indoor air. As you detox your home, consider adding BioPro-Plus 500 to your supplement regimen. Besides immune system-boosting thymic proteins, BioPro-Plus 500 contains Zinc Gluconate, which is clinically proven to shorten the duration of infection from the common cold virus and enhance immune response. BioPro-Plus 500 also contains Silver Solution which is well documented as having antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.
References:
- https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/publications/books/housing/cha05.htm
- https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/iaq_intro.html
- https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/radon/radon-fact-sheet