6 Ways Your Home Contributes to Pollution (and How To Stop It)

Air Pollution

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a list of thirteen common indoor air pollutants, but the agency missed an important one: water vapor. Excessive humidity promotes mold and fungus growth and respiratory ailments, making it potentially as harmful as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other better-known pollutants.

Here are some ways for homeowners to keep the air indoors cleaner and more healthy:

• Keep your home well-ventilated.
• Clean or replace your HVAC filters frequently, especially when there’s smoke from a wildfire in the local atmosphere.
• Use low-VOC paint when remodeling.
• Stop cooking with gas. That’s the direction government regulations are pushing, so maybe now is the time for that new induction cooktop.
• Consider upgrading gas appliances with high-efficiency electric ones, like a heat pump for home heating/cooling and a hybrid water heater.
• Don’t spray pesticides. There are safer, more effective ways to handle ants and other pests.
• Smoke outdoors.
• Use unscented cleaning products. Some fragrances combine with ozone (itself a pollutant) to form formaldehyde.
• Avoid products that generate ozone, like vegetable washers, and hair or facial tools.

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