7 Simple Ways to Improve Air Quality in Your Home

air filterIndoor air can have levels of certain pollutants that are up to five times higher than outdoor air. In addition to decreasing air quality, these pollutants can have a negative impact on your health. The most common pollutants to enter your home that make it more difficult for you to breathe are smoke, dust, dander, pollen, viruses, bacteria, mold, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are household items like hairspray and ammonia. If inhaled, these pollutants can cause a whole host of respiratory problems.

Fortunately, you can significantly reduce the levels of all of these pollutants. Below are seven simple ways you can prevent these harmful pollutants from damaging the air quality in your home.

Improving Air Quality

Decorate with houseplants

Houseplants help brighten your home while cleaning the air. Plants like English ivy, rubber tree, snake plant, bamboo palm, or red-edged dracaena do a great job of reducing carbon dioxide, increasing oxygen, and purifying the air in your home.

Open windows

Cracking your windows brings fresh air into your home. Without an opening, the same air is circulated over and over, picking up more and more pollutants with each cycle. However, be careful not to open windows for too long in the winter and summer months. This can let precious cool or hot air out and make your home less energy efficient.

Use furnace blower

Turning your furnace blower on recirculates the air in your home and kills mold spores and microbial bacteria if you have a filter system that uses ultraviolet (UV) lights. This is an extremely effective method for reducing and preventing even the smallest indoor air pollutants and particles.

Clean surfaces and ventilation system

Cleaning your home’s ventilation system to get rid of contaminants will require professional cleaning. However, there are some things you can do yourself to reduce air pollutants in your home. These include replacing your HVAC system’s filters, dusting surfaces like ceiling fans, and vacuuming regularly.

Use large doormats

Placing a large doormat at every door prevents friends and family from tracking in harmful pollutants that latch on to the dirt on their shoes. Doormats catch much of the dirt and pollutants before they are brought into the house. The size of the doormat is important as well. The larger doormat, the more likely people are to step on it, and the more pollutants it will catch.

Do not smoke indoors

The pollutants produced by smoking are extremely harmful. Exhaled smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, which significantly reduces the quality of the air in your home. Make sure you or your loved ones smoke outdoors to preserve the air quality in your home and prevent potentially serious health risks.

Maintain safe levels of humidity

Mold, dust mites, and other allergens thrive in wet environments. Keep the humidity in your home between 30 and 50 percent. This will ensure these allergens don’t grow and pollute the air. To maintain this level of humidity, use a dehumidifier and an air conditioner. In addition to reducing mold and dust mites, air conditioners also decrease pollen count, which is a huge benefit to those with allergies.

Following these steps can have a huge impact on the quality of the air in your home. While these are not the only actions you can take to remove indoor air pollutants and breathe the cleanest air possible, taking these steps can have a huge impact on the quality of the air in your home.

Want to ensure you and your loved ones are breathing the cleanest air possible?

Learn more about how Air Design’s reliable air quality services help you provide a healthy and happy home.