{"id":19426,"date":"2018-02-22T16:40:20","date_gmt":"2018-02-22T15:40:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amazingy.com\/magazine\/?p=19426"},"modified":"2019-04-05T10:24:36","modified_gmt":"2019-04-05T08:24:36","slug":"lets-talk-indoor-air-quality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amazingy.com\/magazine\/lets-talk-indoor-air-quality\/","title":{"rendered":"Let’s Talk: Indoor Air Quality"},"content":{"rendered":"

Picture this<\/em>: You\u2019re sitting at work, you can\u2019t concentrate, and you begin to notice a slight headache\u2026 then a colleague comes back in from outside and says, \u201cJeeezzzz, it smells like a puma cage in here!\u201d \u2026 Believe it or not, it\u2019s a familiar scenario at the Amazingy office during the wintertime. The heating is on, the windows are closed, and the office is full of people; time to let some fresh air in, \u2018cause the oxygen is finished. And the indoor climate is worth taking a better look at. It\u2019s not only the lack of oxygen that gives us a headache; there\u2019s also more particles floating around in the air that can influence our health & well-being. As with love, indoor air is also a battlefield.\u00a0(Wise words from Pat Benatar… \u2665)<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

You might not have thought about this (and what I\u2019m talking about could even make you feel a little paranoid), but sometimes it’s good to know about things that freak you out, \u2018cause it might move you to take some action. The air that remains inside the spaces we occupy from day to day is generally more polluted than the air outside, even<\/i> if you are living next to a moderately busy street producing a lot of carbon emissions. Take that in for a moment And then take a deep breath\u00a0\u2013 \u2018cause in any case, polluted air is still better than no air, right?<\/p>\n

I always thought that those Waldorf-esque schools being built & decorated with natural materials like wood and wool were just the results of a bunch of hippies’ misguided overreaction to everything “modern”. But since I’ve learned more about indoor air quality and how serious we should take it, I see that those Waldorfers are onto something. Cleaning products, furniture, lead- or aluminum-based paints, heating and cooling systems that lead to mold formations in the bathroom, smoking, burning food in the pan, even blowing out all of those romantic candles. The list of ways we are unknowingly polluting the air we breathe indoors is endless. There are so many objects and surfaces in our homes we never even think about that are constantly emitting air pollutants or toxic agents into the air; they ail us with symptoms like dry, sore throats, respiratory problems\u00a0\u2013 worsening existing asthmatic issues and wreaking havoc in so many other areas of our health.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Modern or renovated buildings are often sealed airtight, preventing drafts and cold from coming in, which at first you\u2019d think is a good thing \u2013 you save on heating costs and that’s great, right? We all like to be cozy & warm. But the draft that those old-fashioned windows are allowing into your home is actually not such a bad thing. A permanent source of fresh air is good for our lungs and is often better for your house, as proper ventilation helps prevent against the colonization of fungi in the walls and other enclosed areas.<\/p>\n

What can you do to improve the quality of air when indoors?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Firstly, open the windows often. The air quality outside is best in the morning, because there is normally less car traffic throughout the night and most trees also emit oxygen after dark. What I like to do after waking up: open the windows in the kitchen and the living room whilst taking a shower or getting dressed in another part of the apartment. Most rooms need at least 10 minutes to be fully aired through and properly ventilated. After my family is finished in the bathroom (which can be a lengthy process, let\u2019s be honest), we open the window in there to allow the humid air to disperse. Otherwise, fungi might start having a feast on your window sills and inside your walls \u2013 not pretty, and also not very healthy, as mold and other forms of fungi can cause lung problems, fatigue and are even\u00a0known to cause sick building syndrome<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I get to work and open the office door, I often and almost immediately notice the air is stale, so I keep the windows and doors open for as long as possible (as long as we can tolerate it when it\u2019s freezing outside) and repeat that a couple of times throughout the day. It\u2019s a great way to lengthen your concentration span and fight against that stuffy, tired feeling you sometimes get when you\u2019re stuck in rooms with lots of people in them for long stretches of time.<\/p>\n

Some helpful tips:<\/b><\/h3>\n