Improving Air Quality in the Home for Better Comfort and Health
Air quality is important in every home. Everyone needs to breathe in clean air. Plus, when you walk into a home, you can immediately tell when someone is not proactive about improving air quality in the home. To make sure that you, your family, and your guests breathe clean air, make sure to practice these tips.
1. Avoid humidity.
Humidity can do a number on any building if you’re not careful. Humidity can lead to damp conditions and mold growth. To fight humidity, use a dehumidifier in various rooms of your house. Turn on the fan whenever you are taking a shower or cooking to help draw moisture from the air. Also, it’s a good idea to make sure that the temperature of your home is at a level where humidity can’t flourish. A consistent dehumidifying practice can help with improving air quality in the home.
2. Use indoor plants.
Indoor plants are effective for improving air quality in the home since they purify the air naturally. So, keep one plant for every thousand square feet in your home. An easy way to include indoor plants in your home is by using eucalyptus leaves. Purchase a few sprigs of fresh eucalyptus and hang it from the shower head in your bathroom. Not only will this release a pleasant smell, it’ll also do wonders for the improving the air quality in the home. You can also use plants like peace lilies, spider plants, and rubber figs in various rooms of your home. If you don’t have a green thumb, check out different tutorials online.
3. Clean regularly.
Make it a practice to regularly clean your home. If you have a lot of junk and clutter, it can create an unsanitary environment. This is especially true for rooms like the bathroom and the kitchen. Make certain rules mandatory like always keeping the sink wiped clean. Mop the floors on a consistent basis. Dust and wipe down surfaces regularly. Don’t let food clog up the disposal. As you put food down the disposal, add a few lemon slices to help sanitize and deodorize the disposal. Once you make cleanliness a habit, it is easier to maintain good air quality.
4. Avoid artificial fresheners and cleaners.
Even though cleanliness is important, make sure that you’re not using too many toxic cleaners to get the jobs done. Use eco-friendly cleaning products or make your own cleaning products from natural sources such as lemon, vinegar, and baking powder. It’s also a good idea to watch the number of air fresheners you use. Even though they can make the room smell good temporarily, they can also release toxins that are bad for human ingestion. Use essential oils and diffusers to naturally deodorize the room. If you choose to use candles, make sure that you don’t burn them for longer than three hours at a time, and purchase candles that are made out of natural materials instead of synthetic.
5. Open the windows every day.
Make it a habit to open the windows every single day for at least 15 minutes. This is a perfect way to allow fresh air to flow through the rooms. If it’s really cold outside, know that you don’t have to open the windows really wide to for this to be effective. If it’s really hot outside, wait until the evening hours when the sun sets and the air is cooler.
6. Change your filters.
Regularly change your HVAC air filters at least every three months, or more frequently if you have pets or if anybody in your home has allergies. When you change your air filters, you decrease the chances of circulating toxic air throughout the home.
7. Call the professionals.
It’s a good idea to make sure to have your HVAC system inspected on a yearly basis so it continues to work properly. Professionals can often spot problems that you cannot. It’s better to be proactive and stay on top of the systems in your home than to run into a potentially costly predicament down the line.
Improving air quality in the home is an achievable goal when you make adjustments to the products you are using and your home maintenance routine. Just follow the above suggestions and notice that you are breathing easier before too long!
Elite Home Inspections provides home inspection and testing services to Louisville, Kentucky and the surrounding area. Contact us to schedule your appointment.