Did you know that the air quality in your house can be 2 to 5 times worse than the air quality outside? Generally, air quality worsens in fall and winter because the denser air stays close to the ground letting pollutants accumulate. Therefore, it is no surprise that indoor air pollution is more prevalent during the fall and winter holidays, and our holiday traditions may have something to do with that.
Some of our fall and winter home decorations can worsen indoor air quality and affect people with asthma, allergies, and other respiratory health issues. If you're preparing for fall or winter decorating in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Pacific Palisades, and Marina del Rey, CA, here are a few indoor air quality concerns you should be aware of and how you can keep everyone safe.
Dusty Home Decorations Out of Storage
Your holiday decorations gather dust and are exposed to mold sitting in the basement, garage, or attic for months. When you retrieve them, a lot of this dust is released into your home. To avoid this, open them up outside and wipe them with a damp cloth before hanging them.
The best way to store your decorations after the festivities in Marina del Rey is in air-tight bags or bins. The bins can be cleaned every year, reducing the amount of dust ending up in storage.
Scented Candles and Air Fresheners
We all love the wonderful fresh-baked cookies, pumpkin spices latte, and mulled apple cider fall aromas. Unfortunately, scented candles and air fresheners contain chemicals that may be harmful to us, and they spread these chemicals as they melt.
Instead, go for candles made using natural waxes like beeswax, soy, or hemp and those that have cotton wicks. They are much better for your air quality in Pacific Palisades.
Halloween Decorations
Many popular plastic items for Halloween decor in Los Angeles, such as skeletons, absorb toxic gases during manufacturing. These plastics may off-gas, releasing the chemicals into your home. So, you should avoid plastic decorations; but if you buy them, ensure they are non-toxic and run your air purifier to keep the harmful gases out.
Better yet, you could make your own Halloween decorations but ensure to paint them outside and only bring them in after they have dried completely. You don't want any paint fumes in the house.
Halloween jack-o-lanterns are also one of your decorations that can affect the air quality in your home. Like any vegetable, pumpkins can start to rot if you keep them for a long time. Therefore, carve them as close to the holiday as possible, wash them, and let them air dry outside. Remember to throw them away after the holiday before they go bad and start growing mold.
Christmas Trees
Decorating your Christmas tree is the highlight of Christmas festivities. Unfortunately, they, too, pose an indoor air quality risk. While live trees are probably best for indoor air quality, they may contain pollen and mold, which is not good to breathe. Therefore, before bringing your tree inside, hose it off to remove any pollen and mold. Also, wipe down the trunk and then let it dry.
If you buy a new artificial tree, look for one made of polyethylene (it's safer than PVC). Keep it outside for a few weeks to off-gas before bringing it inside.
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