Eight Do’s and Don’ts to Surviving China’s Winter Indoors 1
lingua 2012-01-12 13:38:55
Breathing in clean air sounds like a very basic right, but unfortunately it is not something we can take for granted living in China’s smoggy metropolises. With China’s air pollution frequently surpassing international standards and even partially shooting off all existing air pollution charts, as well as the drastic rise of respiratory illnesses in recent years, there has never been a greater need for tips on how to make your living experience in China that much healthier. While our individual actions for combating the air pollution outside may seem small, there are a number of measures you can take for significantly improving your living environment at home. Here are four essential do’s and don’ts for surviving China’s miserable winter, indoors.
The Do’s:
(1) Do replace the filters in your air filter regularly and install filters in your air conditioner The filters in air purifiers collect dust, pollen, dead skin cells, dust mite droppings and other allergens. If they are not cleaned regularly, all of this can buildup, making your machine work harder and pushing less air through. Most home air conditioners have very rudimentary filters that only catch large particles, but can be replaced with finer mesh ones (ie. 3M’s Filtrete) that clean your air much more effectively. Follow your air purifier manufacturer’s guidance on filter changes and depending on your location in China, replacing air conditioner filters should be done about once every six months. (2) Do add indoor plants to produce clean air, remove toxins, and increase humidity NASA research has found that certain species of plants excel at removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that build up at dangerous levels indoors, especially during the winter, when we keep windows closed. The plants absorb pollutants such as formaldehyde, benzene and carbon monoxide, where microbes in their root system convert this into food. Meanwhile, they improve air quality by producing oxygen and adding humidity for comfort. (3) Do use a HEPA vacuum and wet wipe surfaces that collect dust frequently All surfaces can collect dust, particles and other air pollutants, so if they are left they can become airborne again leading to asthma and allergies. Wipe everything with water or use a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, which filters out particles down to .3 microns, about 150x smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Without HEPA filters, vacuums just spray the particles back out into the air where they can be inhaled. (4) Do open the windows for ventilation, but not during rush hour Even in winter, ventilation with outdoor air is important to dilute stuffy, polluted indoor air. It’s best to do this when levels of outdoor pollution are lowest. Shanghai’s Environmental Monitoring Center (SEMC) publishes hourly reports and forecasts on air quality on its website. In general, the best times are early morning or evening. It is also generally a good idea to run an air purifier for an hour or so after ventilating to remove outdoor pollutants common in China’s air.
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