Keep your health in check and breathe easy this haze season.
17 September 2019
Text by Vanitha Pavapathi
As much as we hope haze does not occur, air quality has hit unhealthy levels last Saturday for the first time in three years. Thankfully, the skies cleared up a bit this week, but the National Environment Agency (NEA) cautioned that haze could persist in the days ahead. Stay vigilant and take necessary measures to safeguard yourself. Here are a few things you ought to do.
Keep your doors and windows closed at all times if you don’t want to pollute your indoor air with particulates from the haze.
Not all face masks are created equal. While a surgical mask can protect the wearer’s nose and mouth from irritants, it is ineffective in filtering haze particles. If you’re heading out, be sure to wear an N95 mask that can be purchased from the pharmacy.
Stay indoors as much as possible and avoid strenuous exercises. Breathing in the pollutants outside does more harm to your health. But if your must exercise, hit an indoor gym instead.
You’ll do yourself and the public a lot of good by not adding more pollutants into the air. Plus, smoking makes the lungs more sensitive to the effect of air pollutants.
Haze particles could irritate your eyes and throat, and the presence of dust and dirt make matters worse. So, clean your home regularly by vacuuming and wiping surfaces with damp cloth. Sweeping is a bad idea as some dust becomes airbone and settles into nooks and crannies. The Karcher FC 5 Cordless floor cleaner is great as it vacuums and mops hard floors in one swift motion.
Image courtesy of Daria Shevtsova
Haze contains lots of toxins, which your lungs and skin absorb. So, drink more water than usual as this helps the kidneys flush them out.
When pollutants from the haze enter your home, they continue to linger like uninvited guests. To get rid of them, you’ll need a good air purifier that are capable of filtering microscopic particles, specifically PM2.5 that make up the haze.
Designed for personal use, this compact purifying fan is a perfect fit by your bed, on your desk or in a nursery. It features a 70-degree oscillation and a HEPA filter to capture microscopic allergens and pollutants.
www.dyson.com.sg
With an extra thick NanoProtect HEPA Filter and active carbon filter, this air purifier removes ultrafine particles as small as 0.02 nanometers (100 times smaller than PM2.5) as well as common airborne allergens, bacteria and viruses, and harmful gases such as formaldehyde and TVOC.
www.philips.com.sg
We think you may also like How to create an eco-friendly bedroom for better health and sleep
Like what you just read? Similar articles below
From the award-winning to the latest innovations, we pick the products that help create a clean, safe and comfortable space at home.
To keep within your renovation budget, it helps to think about what’s worth splurging on and where you can save.
