Americans spend 90 percent of their time indoors. The concentrations of pollutants are about two to five times greater than outdoor concentrations. Air quality is important to your health, especially those with respiratory and cardiovascular conditions.
Are you looking to improve air quality in your home? There are some things you can do to breathe easier. Keep reading to learn about air quality improvement.
Use an Air Purifier
Most pollen and dust particles are microscopic, so they are nearly impossible to see. This is where the air purifier comes in. The best air purification systems will remove nearly 100 percent of these pollutants by gathering dirty air, filtering it, and then releasing clean and fresh air back into the room.
Air purifiers are very helpful during the peak allergy season. Most purifiers have an LED display that flashes green to let you know the air is clean. Others release negative ions to help neutralize airborne bacteria and viruses.
Limit Scented Items
Unfortunately, some of the things that smell great can actually decrease your air purity. Items like air fresheners, candles, diffusers, and others contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like benzene, toluene, and formaldehyde. All of these are hazardous to your health and can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation along with headaches.
You also need to check your cleaning and disinfecting products for VOCs. If you need to use these products, make sure you open area windows for more ventilation.
Open the Windows
Speaking of ventilation—one of the best air purity methods is to allow fresh air flow in your home. Opening windows lets in oxygen and also helps get some of the nasty things in the air out. It also reduces the humidity that dust mites need.
You should open your windows when cleaning or cooking to help improve airflow.
Get Houseplants
Houseplants can help with air purification. Research shows that you need a lot of plants for a big impact, so ventilation is still key even if you have plants.
You also need to make sure that your plants are not a source of mold or a trigger for your allergies. Some of the most recognized plants that are effective for cleaning indoor air include:
Peace lily
Dracaena
Common ivy
Spider plants
These plants are some of the best to remove chemicals like carbon monoxide and formaldehyde.
Change Your Filters
It’s important to change your heating system filters regularly. Electrostatic filters help trap dust and airborne irritants instead of recirculating them in your home.
You may also want to consider getting your air ducts cleaned to remove any trapped dust, especially if you just renovated your home. It does help in some cases, but not always advisable.
Clean Regularly
Having a clean house makes it a healthier house. Cleaning gets rid of animal dander and dust. You want to reduce the dust, mold, and dander in your home for air quality improvement.
You should vacuum your area rugs and carpets at least one or two times a week using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. If you want to update flooring, you can choose hard-surface flooring instead of carpet to reduce allergens in your home.
Make sure you remove clutter in your home. Clutter can trap and hold dust, causing your allergies to flare up.
It’s also important that you regularly clean your drapes, bedding, and any other items that attract allergens. You may need to clean them more often if you have pets. You may want to consider getting mite-proof pillow covers and also covers on your mattresses.
Check Heating Systems
Heating systems can also have a big impact on your home’s air quality. Using wood-burning fireplaces and stoves can release harmful particles into the air that can increase your risk of health conditions like lung cancer. Older furnaces and gas-fueled appliances can also be a higher risk for pollutants.
Gas furnaces can release carbon monoxide which is an odorless gas that can cause suffocation and death. You may want to consider using a direct vent for your gas appliances so the gas does not linger in your indoor air.
It’s important to make sure you regularly have your furnace serviced to check the air quality. Along with smoke detectors, you should also have carbon monoxide detectors so you know that there is poisonous gas in the air.
Electric and solar heating options are often cleaner than other heating systems.
Reduce Dampness
If your air is too damp in indoor spaces, it can lead to several health hazards like mold growth. Having higher humidity levels and dampness in your air can lead to VOCs getting into the air.
Having a damp indoor environment can be a result of many factors such as:
Low ventilation areas with lots of moisture like kitchens or bathrooms
Humid climates
Leaky roofs or pipes
Areas with pooling water
If you have damp conditions, this can lead to respiratory symptoms like asthma attacks, coughing, and wheezing.
To reduce dampness, you can improve the air quality by:
Turning on a fan or opening a window when you cook or shower
Using a dehumidifier
Finding and eliminating moisture and pooling water in your home
Always run the fan when you take a shower because it can really improve your indoor air quality. These fans draw the moisture out of the home and replace it with fresh air.
Improve Air Quality in Your Home
You spend a lot of time in your home. Your air quality is important to your health. Follow these steps to improve air quality so you can breathe easily.
Contact us today to evaluate your indoor air quality. We will work with you to improve your air quality and keep your home fresh and clean.
