clear the air

My husband says my nose is better than our dogs (Kane, a german shepherd). Sometimes, I think he might be right. Our garage is under our house and my husband designs a new RC car body every week it seems like. He swears that he spray paints outside, but boy do I smell it in a split second upstairs. You can just imagine what takes place in my house once that happens. Oh the joys of living with three stinky boys. It just goes to show how powerful chemicals really are and how quickly the fumes spread. Van man's lungs are so small, I must try and protect them.

The air we breathe can affect our health in many different ways. In our home particularly, the air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates we spend 90% of our time indoors. Considering it is winter and we usually are stuck inside, this is a great time to try and make the air we breathe a little bit cleaner. Here are some simple steps we can take to ensure we are doing our best to purify the air in our home.

Plants, plants and more plants - who knew that something so simple that God created purifies the air.

Change your furnace filter regularly - filters should be changed every 3 months or sooner depending on how dusty your house is, if someone smokes in the house or if you have a pet indoors.

Don't allow smoking indoors - it's just that simple.

If you have carpet, use a HEPA vacuum - these are designed to remove lead-contaminated dust.

Use the exhaust fan or install one - when you're taking a shower or bath it is important to use the fan to eliminate moisture that eventually can cause mold.

If you have a gas stove, use the oven fan or open a window while you cook - this will allow nitrogen dioxide (which is known to worsen asthma and increase risk of respiratory infection) to escape.

Use natural essential oils to give your home a fresh scent - these smell great and don't have chemicals in them.

Buy green cleaning products or make your own - oh the power of vinegar! Pinterest is a great site for finding ways to make your own cleaning products.

When it is a nice day outside, let the fresh air in - open those windows.

What do you do to help purify the air? I'd love to hear!