By the end of the week, we’ll be able to celebrate the official beginning of summer! Even though we are beginning to experience the beautiful weather that is associated with the summertime, many Canadians are still likely to spend the majority of their time indoors. The coronavirus pandemic, unfortunately, is not behind us just yet. If you plan on spending more time at home, this summer, it’s wise to keep it as healthy an environment as possible.

Most people believe that if their homes clean, they live in healthy environments. However, “clean” doesn’t always mean the air is pure. The air in our homes can be polluted in many different ways. Finding natural air purifiers give us the best chances of living in healthy homes.

Fill your home with houseplants.

Bringing the outdoors inside can often prove to be the most simple and effective way to purify the air you and your family members breathe. As NaturalLivingIdeas.com explains, “plants are Mother Nature’s air purifiers.” The site recommends the following plants for your home: Butterfly Palm, Lady Palm, Chrysanthemum, Golden Pothos, Rubber Tree, Cornstalk Dracaena, Peace Lily, English Ivy and Chinese Evergreen.

Invest in salt lamps.

Salt lamps are well known as natural ionic air purifiers. According to Aashna Ahuja on NDTV.com, they work whether they are turned on or off! “Simply adding a Himalayan pink salt lamp in your room or near your desk at the office does the trick, in terms of functionality and decor,” she writes, “You can leave it on at night as well, since the natural orange glow doesn’t disrupt sleep hormones.”

Try beeswax candles.

Do you enjoy taking relaxing baths, dining by candlelight or simply saving money on electricity? If so, you’re likely a big fan of candles. Try using beeswax candles instead of paraffin candles this summer. The latter releases petroleum byproducts into the air. On the other hand, NaturalLivingIdeas.com reports that “beeswax burns clean and offers the added benefit of ionizing air to neutralize toxic compounds and other contaminants.”

Use essential oils.

A Weber State University study found that Thieves Oil has a 99.96% kill rate against airborne bacteria, Ahuja reports. “It is an antiseptic blend of pure essential oils including pine needle, cinnamon, thyme, eucalyptus, lemon and grapefruit which helps keep the home free from germs and purifies the air,” she explains, “You can add it to soaps and detergents to breathe fresher, cleaner air.”

Reminder – crack open those windows!

In last week’s blog, we championed the act of opening your windows throughout the summertime. Cracking the windows helps to circulate the stagnant air from inside with the fresh air from outside. And, as we pointed out, a well ventilated home helps to prevent condensation that leads to mould growth.

At Enviro-Works Inc., we specialize in detecting mould in a number of ways. Our state-of-the-art laboratory services include detection of Mould In Air as well as through sampling bulk materials, using tapelifts and swabbing. This is known as the Bulk/Tapelift/Swab method. For more information about these services, please don’t hesitate to call us at 780-457-4652 or email us at info@enviro-works.com.