Can I Use Outdoor Chemicals Inside The House? 5 Risk Factors

If you’re asking “can I use outdoor chemicals inside the house”, the answer is no. As for the reasons why you shouldn’t and what risks it brings, we’ll delve into such concerns as well.

Not all chemicals are harmful to humans, animals, or plants. Though it’s a term commonly regarded as dangerous and carrying risks for well-being, everything, even us humans, is made up of chemicals.

can I use outdoor chemicals inside the house

However, some that are used to end the life of pests that annoy us can also bring harm to us and our young ones. As such, you must not use or apply any chemicals you don’t know enough about.

 

Why You Shouldn’t Use Outdoor Chemicals Indoor 

Chemicals are formulated with a certain purpose in mind. For those that use active ingredients for pesticides, that purpose is to kill a specific group of living organisms by simple ingestion, inhalation, contact, and other manners of interaction.

Other than a purpose, chemicals, especially pesticides, are formulated with some assumptions on the application method. Such assumptions are then indicated firmly on the packaging of the final product as instructions.

It’s necessary to make these assumptions to set up limiting variables and make the final results more targeted and effective. 

However, don’t mistake these assumptions to be the same as the ones we commonly make daily. They’re all backed by intensive research and years’ worth of behavior analysis.

Since outdoor chemicals are made with the assumption that they’ll be used outdoors, it’s a huge mistake on your part to try using them inside. The first problem that would arise from that is the assumption made from the half-life of the chemical ingredient.

Half-life is a constant used to calculate the rate at which the concentration of a certain substance decreases with time. It is highly dependent on temperature, so if you suddenly use it indoors, in which the temperature and humidity are different outside will cause a problem.

Another thing that can cause a problem is humidity and ventilation. A decrease in the concentration of a particular substance happens either by diffusion in moving air or reaction with air or water vapor.

If those are not present, or not around in sufficient amounts, then your subsequent assumptions are also misplaced. For one, the time you counted on how long until it’s safe for you or anyone else to come in on an enclosed, treated place can be mistaken.

Here are some other points that make it dangerous to use outdoor chemicals inside closed spaces:

  • Safety levels for humans and pets are set on definite concentrations
  • Outdoor chemicals can react strongly and produce toxic substances with indoor chemicals.
  • Outdoor chemicals can settle and get attached to food and utensils.
  • Outdoor chemicals can break down into more dangerous substances when sprayed indoors.
  • Chemicals with high oxygen demand can thin out breathing levels indoors and induce a suffocating environment.

If you use outdoor chemicals indoors, it may also pose a threat when you have a child at home. That is, while you’re applying, kids can have access to the chemicals which are commonly poisonous when ingested and cause shortness of breath, dizziness, and other irritation.

 

Are pest control chemicals toxic for humans?

Some are, but not all chemicals used for pest control cause adverse and life-threatening effects to humans. Since pests are commonly insects, rodents, or fungi, some of their survival requirements that are taken advantage of by pesticides don’t match with us.

Other than that, the concentration needed to kill pests is usually well below what humans can tolerate. This is why it’s extremely imperative to follow the application instructions indicated for every chemical product.

Pest control chemicals can become fatal though if they’re accidentally ingested. So make sure you learn enough about them before applying inside your home.

You should also check this article that answers the question: “is pest control safe for pets”.

 

How long does pesticide hang in the air?

The length of time a certain pesticide stays suspended in the air after being vaporized depends on its half-life. Again, half-life dictates the decay rate and therefore, the total degradation time of a substance from an initial amount until it’s completely gone.

According to this half-life, substances can be grouped into three general categories, namely

  • Low: Half-life of 16 days or less
  • Moderate: Half-life of 16-59 days
  • High: Half-life of 60 days or greater

Remember that a higher half-life means they degrade or decrease in amount way slower so they stay way longer. An implication of that is you’ll have to inhale more of it, meaning more of its components can accumulate inside you.

For a more in-depth discussion, read this article that talks about “how long does an indoor pest control last”.

 

How long should you wait after pest control to safely come indoors?

Again, depending on how long it takes for the entirety of the sprayed substances to completely subside, you need to wait until enough time has passed. Typically, you don’t need to calculate this yourself as it’s written on the packaging of the product and known to a professional applicator.

Ideally, it’s better to wait until all of the chemicals introduced to your space have decayed before entering. However, it should be fine if the amount present is within what’s safe for humans.

You can hasten this process by ventilating the area but be sure to wait for enough time for the pesticide to kill all the pests first.

 

Conclusion

Now you know the answer to “can I use outdoor chemicals inside the house” and the reasons why you shouldn’t, remember to never attempt it. Stick to the safety of everyone, even with regards to pest extermination.

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