For many people, DIY is a necessary evil that we need to do for the sake of our homes. However, when there are young kids around or you aren’t firing on all cylinders in terms of your health, DIY can easily be an irritant. Whether you’ve got issues in the form of asthma or allergies, or even your mental health, it’s important to mitigate the negative health effects of DIY, so let’s show you a few practices.
Avoid Dispersing Pollutants
If you are doing a lot of work outside, it’s important to minimise activities that can cause problems in the house. But of course, for most of us, DIY is often in the house, and this means if you are sanding down walls or releasing a lot of particulate matter in the air, you’ve got to do your best to remove dust and dirt. In industries where dust is a constant, many businesses use a custom dust extraction system to suck the dust out of the air, and while we can’t all afford an industrial-size vacuum, the best approach is to use a HEPA vacuum, and if you have HVAC filters, replace them if the work is particularly dusty.
Have a Cleaning System in Place
What we need to remember is that when we’ve done any DIY work that can irritate us, we need to have a proper system in place to minimise the fallout. If you are working out in a garden or using chemicals indoors, all the exposure to fumes, vapours, and particulates can cause skin irritation and respiratory issues. The first thing to do is to make sure you have enough protective clothing but also have a cleaning system in place to ensure you don’t feel the negative effects. The first thing to do is to ensure proper ventilation when you are working with chemicals or in enclosed spaces, but also have proper PPE (personal protective equipment) that is relevant to the job, and make sure that you wash surfaces and yourself as soon as possible to prevent the chemicals from lingering.
Reduce Your Exposure
A lot of problems can be down to the types of products you use. If you are using chemicals and there’s no way around this, you need to reduce your exposure in certain ways. The best method is to use as few of these products as possible, and where you can choose liquid rather than spray formulations. If you use sprays in indoor areas, you’re directing the chemicals properly and you are running the risk of dispersing them into the air. It’s also essential to take fresh air breaks as needed and pay attention to how you’re feeling. And if it doesn’t need mentioning, we should keep anybody that’s classified as vulnerable away from these work areas!
Staying fit and healthy is an absolute must regardless of the situation, but it can be quite surprising as to how much we can experience negative health effects of things like DIY. Some of these practices could be exactly what you need.