Strategies for Households

Some of the things we can do to help clean the air include:

Drive less and walk, bike, or use transit whenever possible. It is estimated that 49% of nitrogen oxides (NO_X) and 37% of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) come from motor vehicles, so one of the best ways for us to reduce smog is to use our cars less frequently. Carpooling and transit are great ways to get the benefits of using a car without producing all the pollution caused by always driving a single-occupancy vehicle. Keeping up with your car’s scheduled maintenance and ensuring your tires are properly inflated is an excellent way to minimize air pollution when you have to drive. Low emission vehicles and hybrids are great alternatives to be considered when purchasing a car if you need one. And as always, walking and biking are best, both for the environment and for your health.

Fill up your gas tank and mow your lawn in the evening during the summer. Even with new gas pumps and cans, designed to prevent the release of VOCs into the atmosphere, filling your gas tank and mowing your lawn during the middle of a hot summer day can increase the levels of “bad” ozone in your area. Because NOX + VOCs + Sunlight + Hot Weather = Ozone, the heat and sunlight typical of a summer day increase the likelihood that the VOCs will combine with NO_X to form ozone. If we wait until nightfall to mow and fill our gas tanks, the reaction that creates ozone cannot take place. Also, when mowing your lawn, consider replacing your gas lawnmower with an electric or manual model.

Use air-friendly cleaning products. Air-friendly cleaning products reduce the amount of toxic, ozone-forming chemicals released by traditional cleaning products used in the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room. About 20 tons of VOCs are released each day from consumer products used in the Metropolitan Chicago area. Using cleaner products helps protect the health of your family by reducing or eliminating their exposure to the chemicals released by cleaning products. Air-friendly cleaning products tend to be multi-purpose, so a single air-friendly cleaning product can replace several specialized traditional products. These products are available in most stores, and are typically labeled by the manufacturer as “green” or “eco-friendly”. Many stores group these air-friendly products together in one section or aisle. Please be sure to enter your purchases on your Clean Air Counts profile!

Report a purchase of air-friendly cleaning products.

Use low and zero-VOC paints when doing a remodeling project. Many paints are made with a high percentage of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) so they will dry faster. VOCs are a primary contributor to smog and ozone alerts. You or your contractor can complete most indoor and some outdoor painting projects using low- or zero-VOC paints. Low-level VOC paints release fewer fumes in newly painted rooms as well as outside, helping to avoid ozone alerts. Many people who are sensitive to paint fumes suffer headaches or eye or respiratory irritation when exposed to paint high in VOCs; others just hate the strong smell. Children are especially sensitive to the chemicals released in paint fumes and the resulting ozone produced. When painting, remove as many soft materials, like pillows and blankets, as possible because they absorb the VOCs and release them into the air later. You can find recommendations for air-friendly paint on the Green Seal website.

Report a purchase of low or zero-VOC paints.

Replace your appliances and light bulbs with their energy-saving counterparts. Though it sometimes seems that our individual electricity usage cannot have much effect on the air quality, we have to remember that all our electricity usage together adds up to a lot of energy. Think of it like this: If 5,000 households replaced 5 burned out incandescent bulbs with 5 compact fluorescent light bulbs, the Chicago region’s NO_X emissions would be reduced by 4 tons every year. Check out the Community Energy Cooperative’s Energy Smart Pricing Plan to find out about how you can save money and energy at the same time!

Report your monthly appliance use or a purchase of energy-efficient lighting.

Use natural landscaping on your property. Natural landscaping uses native plants, wildflowers and grasses to landscape instead of planting traditional turf grass. Because natural landscaping is adapted to the Midwestern geography, hydrology and climate, it requires fewer pesticides, fertilizers and watering to maintain. This can improve air quality both because it reduces the use of pesticides and because it minimizes the need to mow our lawns. A gasoline-powered lawn mower pollutes as much in one hour as does driving an automobile for 350 miles! Because many communities have municipal weed ordinances, it makes sense to consult a local plant nursery that can both recommend native plants that fit best with your area and can advise you on how to complete your native landscaping project while staying within the bounds of your community’s landscaping regulations.