Parents spend lots of time and money childproofing their homes as their babies start crawling and walking.
Electric outlet covers, cabinet locks, and baby gates are all important, but experts say there is another health threat that’s often overlooked: the air inside your home.
“Studies show that the average person spends 90-95% of their time indoors, and most of that time is in our homes,” said Dr. Michael Nevid, an expert in pediatric allergy and clinical immunology at National Jewish Health. “So, ensuring that the environment is as safe as it can be for children’s developing lungs is important to their long-term respiratory health.”
Nevid said these steps can help ‘childproof’ the air in your home.
Eliminate secondhand smoke
Don’t allow anyone to smoke inside your home.
Secondhand smoke can trigger asthma flare-ups and increase the risk of developing asthma.
Replace furnace filters often
Furnace filters help keep dust, danger, and pollen from circulating in your home. Check yours regularly to see how frequently it should be changed.
Most should be replaced every 2-3 months.
Clean regularly using fragrance-free products
Make sure that you regularly clean with fragrance-free products.
“Use a wet cloth, wet mop to try to remove the dust,” Nevid said. “Dust mite has very specific remediation, so washing, bedding in hot water, at least weekly, using encasing for the bedding is helpful, dust mite-proof covers for bedding, pillows. The dehumidifiers can help, as well. Another issue for a lot of our patients are fragrances, so trying to avoid very fragrant chemicals would be helpful.”
Use vacuum cleaners and and air purifiers with HEPA filters that trap dust, mold spores, bacteria, and pet dander
Use vacuums and air purifiers with HEPA filters that trap dust, mold spores, bacteria, and pet dander.
“HEPA filters, high efficiency, particulate air purifiers can remove somewhere, sometimes up to 99.97% of air pollutants and other small particulates that are really tiny, small 0.3 microns in diameter size,” Nevid said. “So they can actually help to remove some of those harmful particles.”
Reduce gas exposure
Gas heat and appliances release nitrogen dioxide into the air, which can trigger asthma.
Experts said to reduce exposure, consider replacing your gas oven and stove with electric or convection, or at least make sure your kitchen is well-ventilated.
Know when to open windows and when to keep them closed
Bringing fresh air inside is good, unless your family suffers from pollen allergies or lives in an area with poor air quality.
If pollen is a problem, keep the windows shut during allergy season or monitor the Air Quality Index (AQI) to know when pollen levels are low.
Buy washable stuffed animals
Soft toys or stuffed animals can harbor dust mites, so try to buy toys that are machine washable, and make a point of washing them regularly.
Buy asthma-safe products
If your child has asthma or allergies, look for products certified asthma-safe by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.