Every home has at least one or two chemicals for domestic use. And while these chemicals are useful to us, they can also harm us. We need to handle them with extreme care to avoid any possible risks.
Which dangerous chemicals could you possibly have in your home? You will be surprised to find out that there is at least one harmful chemical in every room of your house.
- In your garage, you may have:
Antifreeze
Motor oil
Latex paint
Oil-based paint
Windshield washer fluids
Batteries
- In the laundry/utility room:
All-purpose cleaners
Bleach
Laundry detergents
Pet tick and flea treatments
Insecticides
- In the kitchen:
Oven cleaners
Dishwasher detergents
Window and glass cleaner
Antibacterial cleaners
- In the bathroom:
Toilet cleaners
Mold removers
Drain cleaners
- In the living room:
Carpet cleaners
Air fresheners
Furniture polish
Household foggers
- In the garden shed, pool, and backyard:
Swimming pool disinfectants
Insect repellants
Algicides
Herbicides
And in the bedroom, you may have mothballs.
Possible risks depending on the type of chemical include asthma, cancer, dizziness, chest problems, blindness, skin, and eye irritation, to name but a few. In extreme cases, these chemicals can also be fatal.
So, how can you keep your home safe while using these chemicals? Read on to the end to find out.
- Ensure Sufficient Air Circulation in Your Home
Some chemicals produce fumes intoxicating the air that you breathe in your home. If your house is not well-ventilated like most homes, the fumes lack the chance of escaping forcing you to inhale the toxic air as a result. Prolonged exposure to toxic air can cause serious health problems such as extreme allergies, dizziness, nausea, chest problems, etc. to you and your family members.
To avoid these risks, ensure that the air in your home is free of toxins at all times. That means allowing sufficient air to flow in and out of your house. And since your house is not naturally built for that, you must go out of your way to allow free flow of fresh air. Below is a list of things you can do.
- Run your HVAC fans.
- Open your doors and windows for air to enter.
- Run your ceiling fans
- Run vented fans in all your rooms
- Go Green
There is no better way to stay safe than to go the natural way. Instead of using these harmful chemicals, why not avoid them in the first place? Luckily, there are bio-products available in the market that you can use to substitute these chemicals. The only reason why most people fail to use them is pricing. In general, bio-products usually cost slightly higher than their counterparts. However, you will find out that their benefits outweigh their cost in the long run.
If you are still using harmful chemicals in your home, it’s time you replace them with eco-friendly products. And even if you hire professionals such as JC Eco blasting for any residential services, insist that they use environmental-friendly products only. By protecting the environment, you get to protect yourself too.
- Ensure Optimum Humidity in your Home
Humidity levels keep changing all the time. Sometimes they can be high and at other times low. By all means, avoid high humidity levels in your home because;
- VOCs and toxins are more reactive when the humidity levels are high.
- Molds, mildew, and dust mites thrive in highly humid environments.
These are things you do not want to see anywhere near you. So, avoid high humidity levels in your home at all times. Your humidity levels should be between 35 and 40 percent if you want to live in a healthy home.
- Avoid using Air Fresheners in Your Home.
The majority of people use fresheners to get rid of odors in their home. What they do not know is that this can trigger asthma, allergies, and other infections. There are better ways to get rid of these odors in your home instead of using air fresheners. Some of these ways include:
- Opening your doors and windows for air to circulate in your home
- Using flowers to scent your home
- Using spices and herbs in your home
- Avoid using Plastics
Plastic is harmful to your health. Avoid using it. All plastics have a component known as phthalates and can cause serious harm to the brain, nervous system, and the endocrine system. Also, when heated, plastics are toxic to the air and anything close to them. For your good, keep them away from heat and food. If possible, get rid of all the plastics in your kitchen. You can replace them with steel, glass, or any other material that is not harmful to your health.
Conclusion
In everything you do, safety should always come first. That’s why you must protect yourself and the people you live with from harmful chemical reactions. Following these things will ensure that your home is safe for you and your loved ones to live.