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Top 5 Ways to Improve Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality
The air quality inside many homes is actually worse than the air quality outside. When you spend so much of your time there, it’s important to pay attention to the indoor air quality and its effects on you. Mold and other particles in the air can cause allergic reactions, poor air quality can put you at a higher risk for cancer and heart disease, and gases in the air can produce unpleasant odors. Take control today with these five ways to improve indoor air quality.
1. Change Filters Regularly:
The air filters on your furnace and air conditioner do a significant amount of work as air passes through the filter. Change your filter every two months, or even more often during peak heating and cooling season to maintain indoor air quality.
2. Install a Home Air Cleaner:
If you really want to clean the air in your home, you may need a device made especially for that purpose. Consider an air cleaner with a HEPA filter for particles and a gas-phase filter to remove gases and odors. Another option is an air cleaner that uses ultraviolet light to destroy pollutants such as mold spores and viuses.
3. Use a Clean Humidifier:
Dry air is difficult on your body, so run humidifiers during the dry season to maintain humidity of 35 to 50 percent. Because your humidifier is a wet environment, it can become a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. Therefore, disinfect your humidifier regularly (1-2 times a year) with diluted vinegar or bleach. And remeber to replace the humidifier filter annually.
4. Leave Windows Closed During Pollen Season:
Although fresh air may feel like a welcome reprieve after a stuffy winter, don’t leave windows open on days with a high pollen forecast. You don’t want to invite one of indoor air quality’s worst enemies into your home! When you need to open windows, try to do so during the morning, when outdoor air quality is better.
5. Vacuum and Dust Regularly:
Regardless of how careful you are to keep the air coming into your home as clean as possible and to clean the air in your home, particles will settle onto surfaces. These get stirred back into the air anytime you touch them, so make a habit of vacuuming and dusting regularly.
