You keep your home as clean as possible and try to maintain the highest levels of hygiene. Despite this there are times when some of your family members may fall ill very often and this leaves you wondering whether there is something wrong with their immunity levels. People who stay indoors for longer periods of time may be more affected and could be sneezing and wheezing & be uncomfortable all the time.

The Indoor Pollution Factor
The fact is there are a number of things within you’re a home that can make you sick. The entire concept of indoor pollution is quite a recent one. For a very long time, the focus was more on what was happening in the outdoor environment. However, over the last decade, researchers have realized that the indoor environment can make people as sick as the outdoor environment can, if not more. Let’s take a look at who the culprits are:

• Heating & Cooling Systems- Today most office spaces, malls and movie theatres and cars are air conditioned. Even when people come home, they tend to first switch on the air conditioning. It provides comfort when the weather is too hot or cold, but there are some other things this system does too.
  It leaves small traces of water in its ducts. These become an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and mold which becomes the cause of various respiratory issues including allergies, coughing and asthma. It’s important to get the air conditioning systems cleaned on a regular a basis. Getting the servicing company to come and service the installation at least 3 times a year, helps it operate more efficiently & cleanly
• Indoor Leaks- At times, undetected indoor leaks can cause mold growth inside your home. This can be a distinct problem if anyone in your home is prone to allergic attacks or asthma. Check all the pipes in the kitchen and bathrooms as well as in the laundry areas and ensure that there is no water accumulation anywhere
• Mattresses & Furniture- Dust mites tend to live and breed in mattresses and upholstered furniture. These bugs are microscopic in size and thrive in warm and humid weather. In addition, they thrive on the warmth our bodies provide when we lie down on a mattress or sit on a couch. Those who are allergic or have asthma can get very badly impacted by dust mites as these can easily set off an allergic reaction. It’s important to wash sheets and pillow cases on a weekly basis and vacuum mattresses too.
• The Bathroom- The bathmat outside your bathroom door or shower is a breeding ground for bacteria, mold and mites. It’s important that you dry yourself off properly when you step out of the shower and also make sure that you clean all the bath and door mats on a weekly basis.
• The Refrigerator- You must be cleaning the refrigerator on a regular basis, but the inside is not the only space that has to be cleaned. You should also clean the tray that is positioned at the back or under the refrigerator. In most instances, the water that collects in the tray gets evaporated with the heat of the compressor, but there are times when things that have spilled from the refrigerator also collect in this tray and mold can grow on them
• Cleaning Products- Many cleaning products have ingredients that can cause breathing problems, headaches, eye irritation etc. Some of these can also be carcinogenic in nature. Ensure that you are using good quality cleaning products and try to avoid ones that have:
  • 2Butoxyethanol
  • Dye
  • Alylphenol extholytes
  • Ethanolamines
  • Pine or Citrus oil
  • Fragrance
  • Quaternary ammonium compounds

  Instead of using products, use a homemade mixture of vinegar and water for cleaning glass surfaces. Baking soda can be used as a scrubbing product and plain soap and water can be used to clean kitchen counters and other surfaces.

Indoor spaces are more enclosed and this means bacteria and allergens tend to get trapped in these areas. Keep all these pointers in mind and focus on making your home a safer place to live in.