Since a majority of your life is spent indoors, the quality of air you breathe while indoors ought to be good to maintain good health.
However, modern homeowners still struggle with poor indoor air quality because they fail to follow one precaution or another.
Many homeowners also fail to take air quality seriously because symptoms are often asymptomatic.
However, even if you don’t experience the symptoms of health issues associated with poor air quality, the damage still happens without your knowledge.
Checking and improving your home’s air quality, especially in winter when the windows are mostly closed, can save you a lot of health-related problems.
Below, we’ll look at six simple changes you can make to instantly improve your indoor air quality for a healthy living.
Remove the Obvious Air Pollutants
If you already know that something within your home is contributing to the poor air quality indoors, you should start by removing it before doing anything else.
Since you and your family members spend about 90% of your time indoors, it’s important to ensure that the quality of air you breathe during that time is good.
Removing anything that degrades indoor air quality can improve it.
Check for anything that degrades your home’s air quality, such as odors or irritants that affect the nose or eyes.
This can range from paint to cleaning supplies to chemicals to contaminated food that’s starting to spoil.
The earlier you identify and remove these pollutants, the safer you keep your place for everyone.
Always ensure that your space is clean and that only the right items and supplies are kept in the designated area at the right time.
Anything that’s likely to compromise your indoor air quality should be stored in a dedicated storage area or discarded if no longer in use.
Replace Your HVAC Filter Regularly
Your HVAC system does an excellent job of heating and cooling your home while also filtering out excess dirt, mold, and other pollutants that may enter your home.
As the system recirculates indoor air throughout your rooms, it can carry dust, mold spores, and other particles into your space.
However, if the system’s filter is left in place for a long time without replacement, harmful particles may enter your home, leading to various respiratory health issues.
Replacing your HVAC air filter on time gives you the best indoor air quality without costly repairs.
Regular filter inspection is crucial for HVAC units that work constantly during winter.
While at it, ensure you follow the filter replacement instructions in your HVAC system manual or the guidelines on your filter’s packaging.
If all this seems like a lot of work, you can consult with local HVAC experts like Florida Home Air Conditioning to help with the inspection and installation of new filters.
Also, ensure you choose and install only a filter with a higher minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV).
The right filter size will capture small particles, such as pollen and mold spores, before they enter your space.
Install an Air Quality Sensor
While there are several weather apps for checking outdoor air quality, indoor air quality can differ significantly from what they report for outdoor air. That’s why you need to install a reliable air quality sensor to measure your baseline air quality, then continuously monitor it to maintain consistent indoor air quality.
A good indoor air quality sensor alerts you when there’s a spike in indoor air pollution, whether it’s smoke, dust, or other pollutants concentrated in one particular area.
These timely alerts allow you to know where and when to run your air purifier.
As you continue to use your air quality sensor, you may need to recalibrate it, as factors can make it less accurate over time.
Start Using Safer Cleaning Products
If your cleaning products are among the causes of air pollution inside your home, then it’s time to think of a perfect replacement for a safer environment.
The unsafe cleaning products can cause irritation in the airways, especially if you use them in enclosed spaces like the bathroom.
If nothing is done sooner, repeated respiratory reactions from airway irritation can lead to asthma, especially for exposure to the same irritants.
You can opt for safer cleaning products from local stores or choose safer operation procedures, such as:
- Products that meet the EPA’s Safer Choice standards and display the Safer Choice label.
- Naturally derived cleaning agents that don’t have any fragrance.
- Opening a window, wearing a mask, or running an exhaust fan when using products containing strong chemicals, such as chlorine.
Clean and Vacuum Your Carpets and Rugs
While your carpets and rugs significantly contribute to your home’s comfort and warmth, they can also harbor dangerous air pollutants that may compromise your home’s health.
Carpets that go for long periods before washing can collect dirt, pet dander, pollen, and other pollutants that can easily spread into your home’s airflow.
Regular cleaning helps to eliminate these germs and give you back a safe space where you can relax without the worry of airborne irritations.
If you’re looking for a low-maintenance option, you can use self-cleaning robot vacuums to do the cleaning on a regular basis.
Alternatively, you can use manual vacuums and safe cleaning products to boost your carpets and rugs cleanliness.
You can also implement a no-shoes household to ensure dirt and mud is left out at the door and carpets are protected.
Clean Your Cooking Vents
Another potential source of air pollution in your home is the cooking vents.
These vents are found either on a microwave with a cooking filter or a hood above your range in the kitchen that helps to filter air out of your kitchen.
To ensure the vents are working properly, you should clean them and their filters regularly, especially if you use your kitchen more often.
If you have a gas stove, you should clean even more frequently as incomplete combustion may cause the release of carbon monoxide into your home, posing serious health risks.
Whether it’s your first time facing an air-quality challenge or it’s something you’ve struggled with a long time, the above tips can help you improve your condition.
By observing these strategies, you can change your home into a healthy, comfortable space for everyone to relax and unwind.
