The quality of your indoor air significantly determines your home’s comfort, as well as your family’s health. Poor air quality can potentially cause health issues due to the various pollutants and contaminants in the air. Therefore, we should all aim to improve our indoor air quality to have a comfortable and healthy environment to live in.
But what does good air quality exactly mean? Generally speaking, it refers to air that’s free from dust, smoke, bacteria, and other gaseous impurities. Most of these pollutants will cause discomfort to the people living in the house, allergic reactions, and even sickness. That’s why it’s paramount to learn how to improve indoor air quality and avoid these conditions.
So, how do you go about improving your indoor air quality? Check out the following easy tips on how you can go about bringing changes to the air within your home..
How to Improve Indoor Air Quality in your Home
Pollutant Source Control
The easiest way to ensure clean quality air in your house is to control the sources of pollutants. You can do this by identifying and then fixing any leaks in your home, regular cleaning and vacuuming of carpets and furniture, or even sealing or enclosing sources containing asbestos.
Also, make sure you don’t smoke inside the house and that your pets are groomed regularly to minimize pet dander. The lower the level of pollutants entering your indoor environment, the better your indoor air quality will be.
Use Clean Air Filters
Your AC air filter is what keeps the pollutants from reaching your indoors. If these air cleaners are dirty or clogged, it means that they won’t work efficiently and can’t be able to sieve or block off the pollutants.
Therefore, cleaning and replacing dirty and clogged AC air cleaners is essential. That way, outdoor pollutants won’t have an easy way of getting inside.
Don’t forget to change other filters in your home, since it’s not just your AC system that uses air cleaners. Your clothes dryer, kitchen exhaust vents, and even the vacuum cleaner can all use air filters. These locations should be inspected regularly and replaced with new filters when needed to help improve your indoor air quality.
If you can’t change the HVAC filters by yourself, always contact a professional to do it for you and ensure that your system is working optimally.
Improve Ventilation
Allowing more air to enter your house goes a long way in improving the indoor air quality. Generally, most HVAC systems don’t automatically draw fresh outdoor air into the house; instead, they mostly recycle and purify indoor air.
Therefore, unless you have a window air conditioner, where you can keep the vent control open, opening the windows and door or having attic and window fans is key to letting fresh air into your home from time to time, which is one of the best answers to how to improve indoor air quality in your home.
Check and Clean the Air Ducts
When looking into how to improve indoor air quality, consider examining the cleanliness of the air ducts around your home. In most cases, cold and hot air reaches the desired spaces in the house through a system of air ducts. If these ducts are clogged or poorly installed, it can lead to performance issues and reduced indoor air quality.
Additionally, dust, dander, mold, and other pollutants can easily accumulate in these ducts. If not checked and maintained regularly, they can be the source of your home’s air quality issues. Therefore, it’s important to regularly call a qualified HVAC technician to clean and maintain your system’s air ducts for improved air quality and comfort.
Use House Plants
House plants are natural air purifiers that work to get rid of some pollutants in the air. But not all plants are efficient in removing all types of pollutants, so it’s important to know the right type of plant you have in your home.
You can use small indoor plants like lilies or ferns, which do well indoors, to ensure the air is fresh. For instance, some plants will absorb bioeffluents like viruses and carbon dioxide, and other toxins like VOCs, leaving the environment safe and clean and improving air quality significantly.
Humidity and Moisture Control
We can’t discuss how to improve your indoor air quality without mentioning humidity. Generally, increased humidity (which is the amount of water in the air) can be a source of many issues within the household.
For instance, moisture facilitates the growth of mold and mildew, which are sources of allergic reactions, asthma, and other respiratory issues. Humidity needs to be maintained at the right levels for optimal comfort and air quality.
So, depending on your location, you might need to get a dehumidifier to control the humidity levels within your household. If your locale tends to be very humid, you might need to use an air conditioner or a fan to circulate air and prevent the growth of mold and mildew.
Use an Air Purifier
An air purifier is a device that helps improve the quality of air in your home. It traps different types of pollutants like smoke, dust, pet hair, and other allergens. Placing it in the most-used areas like the living room or bedrooms work well to ensure that your stay in these rooms is comfortable.
Typically, there are many types of air purifiers in the market to suit your needs. So, if you’re finding it difficult to breathe or have constant allergies, acquiring an air purifier is a step in the right direction.
In addition, a dehumidifier is another appliance that can help improve the quality of air in your home. It helps to prevent or reduce dampness in your house, subsequently hindering mold growth. The two devices are a great combination to help achieve the quality of air that your home deserves.
Install Cooking Vents
If you’re like most people, the kitchen is the heart of your home. And while we all enjoy cooking, it’s important to make sure that the air in your kitchen is clean.
Installing a cooking vent can help with this. The vent helps remove smoke and grease from the air while cooking, which leaves your kitchen smelling fresher. It also helps to keep the surfaces in your kitchen cleaner, as the grease and smoke won’t be left to settle.
Therefore, if you’re looking for a way to improve your indoor air quality and keep your kitchen clean, installing a cooking vent is a great solution.