Do you often have headaches, asthma or do you sleep badly? Maybe it's the air in your house! Freshen things up with these simple tips.
The easiest way to clean the air is to ventilate a lot. This way you get rid of the moist vapor from the dishwasher or bathroom, just like the warm air from the oven and microwave. One in ten homes has mould, almost half contain tobacco smoke and many homes have more particulate matter than outside.
Read also: 'Protect your houseplants from the heat with these precautions'
Open the window in your bedroom every day and open the door or window in the living room at least once a day. Do this at a fixed time, for example just after dinner, to make it a habit.
Essential oil is said to contain the oxygen-enriching properties of plants and thus help to clean the air in the house. Oils from the pine family in particular are said to purify the air and have a bactericidal effect, due to the monoterpene compounds. (Composition of molecules that you find in pine.) Serbian scientific research shows that these molecules ensure that pine oil attacks micro-organisms such as fungi.
The easiest way to air the essential oil is to place a tissue with a few drops of oil on the heater. You can also buy air sprays based on essential oils at various drugstores. The atomizer makes it easy to spread the oils throughout the room.
If you don't have the opportunity to open the window or door often, an air purifier and humidifier will come in handy. The device purifies the air with different filters. For example, a filter stops almost all dust particles larger than 0.3 micrometers and the so-called photo catalytic filter neutralizes toxic vapors and absorbs viruses and bacteria. Ionization introduces negatively charged particles into the air, causing dust particles to precipitate. This significantly improves air quality.
You can buy air purifiers at many electronics stores. It is best to choose an air purifier and humidifier in one. An air purifier can make the air dry.
Houseplants are able to clean the air. They tackle toxic substances such as formaldehyde, xylene and ammonia. These substances can be found in cleaning products, among other things, and can then remain floating in the house. One plant per hundred square meters of space can already provide efficient air purification.
The Aloe Vera is perhaps the easiest plant to have at home. Provide a sunny spot and give it a little water once every few weeks. If the air is polluted, are there brown spots on the plant? Handy as a gauge! Other plants that purify the air are ivy, sansevieria and the golden palm.
Source:Sante June 2017 Text:Mara Ruijter
