5 signs You May Have Indoor Pollutants

You’re probably wondering why you should care much about indoor pollutants. After all, you’re still alive, isn’t that right? Wrong. The EPA reports that indoor pollutant concentrations are 2 to 5 times higher than outdoor allergens (1). You should take these indoor invaders more seriously because they could be responsible for why you constantly have allergies and respiratory problems.

Below are five signs you may have pollutants in your home:

1. Moisture – your walls are always wet, even hours after a shower has been run. Wet walls are a sign that you have excess moisture in the home. Moisture is the presence of water in the air. When moisture converts from gas to liquid, condensation is formed. When the humidity of your home is continually high, the moisture doesn’t go away. Excess moisture leads to the growth of mold and mildew, which can pose serious health risks. Moisture is usually the first step in the development growth of indoor pollutants. If you can find a way to keep your house dry, you can stop the spread of indoor pollutants.
2. Odors – there is a constant offensive odor in your space and it’s not the odor from the trash, nor from your regular pet smells. It’s an overall odor you can’t place your finger on, but it’s there. Put that trusty sniffer (your nose) to work! If you can sense a musty smell and/or other odd odors in the home, you may have indoor pollutants. This odor is caused by the collection of excess moisture, which leads to the buildup of mold and mildew. Make sure your house is low in moisture and the odor willd greatly be reduced.
3. Black mold – you can identify mold by spotting that black patch growing on your walls, floor, dresser, windows, curtains, anywhere moisture can develop. If the level of indoor pollutants has gotten so bad that you have black mold growing in your home, you cannot continue to ignore the fact that you have an indoor pollutant problem. You must clean the mold out and figure how to keep the mold from coming back.
4. Trouble breathing – you find yourself wheezing, fighting to breathe. This is a sign that you may already be breathing indoor allergens and your body is reacting to the allergens.
5. Frequent sneezes, stuffy or runny nose, and other allergic reactions – you can’t stop sneezing inside the home. Your body is reacting to allergens.

Solution: Avoiding allergens is the most effective treatment. When that is not possible, there is more than one possible solution to reduce indoor pollutants. There are many air purifying machines out in the market. I’ve had some air purifiers myself in the past. I was never satisfied. I was tired of changing filters and I never noticed much of a difference in the environment. I have tried putting out boxes of baking soda to absorb the smells. Baking soda is great for many cleaning purposes in the house, but it is not enough for indoor pollutants. Candles only mask the smells but do nothing for the moisture or mold. In fact, candles create more pollutants in the home. Activated charcoal was a great solution, for taking out indoor air pollutants; however, it is not the most sustainable form of air purifier. Only biochar is produced sustainably, via process of pyrolysis, burning biomass in the absence of oxygen. In the absence of oxygen, no additional chemical is required, and no carbon is released back into the air.

Here are some reasons why biochar is superior to air purifying machines baking soda, and activated charcoal: 

*Unlike air purifying machines, where filters have to be changed out every 3 to 6 months, biochar has its own naturally made micro-filters that will hold the allergens for two years or more. Biochar is one of the most highly porous structures created, giving it plenty of room to collect unwanted allergens in the home. In addition, biochar is a natural product and requires no electricity to work. When you think about the number of filters you have to buy in two years' time, and the amount of electricity it takes to power the machines, that's a great savings when you use biochar instead.

*Baking soda is great for multipurpose use around the house but it just doesn't cut it when it comes to eliminating indoor allergens. Odors, mold, and mildew are still present when using baking soda.

*As for activated charcoal, biochar is like a close relative in it's look, function, and biological makeup. However, unlike activated charcoal, where you have to remember to take outside for an hour every month to "recharge" its chemical additive, biochar needs no added chemical to boost its efficacy, thus leaving biochar maintenance-free and the most sustainable air purifer.

Disclaimer: Abscent Wonder doesn't aim to diagnose, treat, or cure your indoor allergen problems. Information is shared for educational purposes only.