Indoor air quality is something that affects every member of your household’s health and wellbeing (including your pets), so we are sure that you want to ensure that your home contains the best air possible.
However, without realizing it some of our daily habits – and some of the things we forget to do – can affect the quality of that air, and not in a good way.
How bad is the indoor air pollution problem in the US?
According to CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission), “In the last several years, a growing body of scientific evidence has indicated that the air within homes and other buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities.”
“Other research indicates that people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors. Thus, for many people, the risks to health may be greater due to exposure to air pollution indoors than outdoors.”
Scary right? There are ways however to bring more fresh air into your home, improve your indoor air quality and reduce those pesky household contaminants. Here are some actionable tips you can start making use of today.
Add Some Green To Clean the Air
Houseplants can be more than just a nice addition to your home decor, choose the right ones and they can be a great way to give the air quality in your home a positive boost. Plants (as you’ll remember from grade school) take in carbon dioxide and ‘breathe out’ oxygen. Adding them to your home creates a natural air filter that keeps working 24/7 and is free to run too!
Which plants should you be on the lookout for at the garden center? According to NASA, English Ivy is one of the best choices you can make, as their testing has found it to be the most efficient at filtering air and removing formaldehyde from it.
Other good choices include the Snake plant, which is notable for the fact that it keeps breathing’ at night when other plants ‘go to sleep’ and the rubber tree, as they thrive in low light, do a great job of filtering the air and require so little care that anyone can keep them alive with ease. And if you want a plant that will not only keep your air clean and filter out harmful toxins but look rather spectacular as a decor piece, give Red-Edged Dracaena a try.
Remember to Change Your Air Filters
The air filter in your HVAC system is your home’s front line of defense against poor indoor air quality. The average HVAC system circulates over 1,000 cubic feet per minute of air through the filter. This means the whole air volume in your house passes through the filter at least several times every day.
A clean filter removes all kinds of particles from the air, ranging from dust to invisible microscopic particles. A dirty filter, however, can actually make indoor air quality worse by acting as a reservoir for dirt, dust and other airborne contaminants that are continuously circulated back into your breathing air.
During both the heating and cooling season, change the air filter monthly. Instead of cheap, throwaway fiberglass panel filters, choose quality pleated fabric filters rated to trap airborne particles down to a size of 3 microns.
Make Some Changes to the Way You Clean
Much of the ‘bad stuff’ in our indoor air comes from the things in it. Soft furnishings, dirt from shoes, even pet hair can be a problem. However, by making a few tweaks to your cleaning routines you can help reduce the problem. Here are just a few ideas:
- Buy machine washable bedding. Wash pillows, sheets and comforters weekly to reduce exposure to allergens, including dust mites.
- Consider removing shoes at the door to minimize dust and dirt tracked in from the outdoors.
- Place walk off mats at all entrances to your home.
- Use high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuum cleaners with disposable bags and microfiber cloths for surface dust removal.
- Groom your pets often to reduce shedding and the spread of dander into the air.
Get an HVAC System Checkup
If your HVAC system is not functioning properly it will negatively contribute to air quality issues. Get into the habit of scheduling a checkup at the end of the ‘heat season’ and then again when it is time to swap air conditioning for heat again several months later. This will not only help keep the air cleaner in your home but ensure that everything is functioning as it should so that you are not left in the cold – or left sweltering – unexpectedly.