Take the Healthy Home Tour to track down air quality hazards
Ottawa – It's no wonder spring cleaning gets a lot of Canadians all choked up. Whether they know it or not, their home can be hazardous to their lung health, especially when it's time to sweep winter out the door and welcome the warm air of spring into the house.
The spring season is an ideal time to consult Your Healthy Home –www.YourHealthyHome.ca – The Lung Association's essential online guide to domestic indoor air quality. The website is re-launched today with updated information about how pollutants can affect lung health and advice for Canadians on how to ensure that the air in their home is not making them sick.
The new website takes users on a “healthy home tour”, visiting a typical kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, living room, basement, and garage. Each room revealsitems that can have a negative impact on air quality. Users can click on specific issues to learn more about the pollution source and how to minimize its health effects.
Simple steps such as banningsmoking inside the home, allowingbetter ventilation in the bathroom to guard against mould growth and using non-toxic household products can make the home a significantly safer and healthier place to live. Pollution is not confined to the indoors, however, so YourHealthyHome.ca also provides information on outdoor issues such as barbequesand chimneys.
For people who have allergies, asthma or other lung diseases, the website also provides specific information about allergens and asthma triggers to help them to manage their illness. There is seasonal information on maintaining healthy air quality throughout the year, projects that can be completed in a day or a weekend and tips to keep in mind when doing a renovation project.
“Your Healthy Home is an educational tool that all Canadians can access to learn about the many issues related to indoor air quality and how it affects lung health,” said Connie Choy, an air quality expert with The Lung Association. “By taking action to improve air quality, we make our homes healthier and safer environments for our families.”
Spring Cleaning Tip Sheet
- As you throw open the windows to let in the fresh air, here are a few simple tips to make spring cleaning a healthy experience:
- Get rid of clutter such as old books or clothes; they are magnets for dust and mould.
- Clear debris from eaves troughs and downspouts to prevent flooding and mould growth.
- Use air-friendly cleaning products. You can mix baking soda and water to form a cleaning paste or mix equal parts lemon juice and water for an effective surface cleaner. Vinegar is also great for cleaning windows and other surfaces.
- If you're looking for a fresh spring smell, don't use air fresheners. Create your own natural air fresheners using fresh-cut flowers or potpourri.
- Check your furnace filter and have it changed or cleaned regularly.
- If you have spring allergies, check the pollen forecast at www.weather.ca before going outside. Pollen levels are usually highest in the morning and on warm, sunny days.
About the Canadian Lung Association
Established in 1900, The Lung Association is one of Canada's oldest and most respected health charities, and the leading national organization for science-based information, research, education, support programs and advocacy on lung heath issues.
For further information, national media representatives may contact:
Janis Hass
Director of Marketing and Communications
The Canadian Lung Association
(613) 569-6411, ext. 225
jhass(at)lung.ca
