You can’t control the temperature, humidity, or pollen outside to improve the air quality. Maybe you choose to stay home on days when the air quality is poor. But where do you go when the air quality in your home is poor? Indoor air pollutant concentrations can be as damaging as anything outside. The air quality in your home can protect you from issues that can be deadly, like mold and radon, as well as viruses and bacteria that can get you sick. So how do you improve indoor air quality? Here are a few changes you can make right now.
Improve Home Ventilation
Stagnant air can cause air impurities to collect inside your home. Without the proper ventilation, these impurities can build up and lower your indoor air quality.
You can prevent this by having better ventilation throughout your home. One of the easiest ways to have ventilation is by opening a window to get the air moving.
However, depending on where you live, an open window may bring in more impurities. This is where filters inside your windows may come in handy.
In bathrooms and kitchens, be sure that ventilation fans are properly installed. These fans remove odors, grease, and smoke from your home and instead vent them outside.
These fans can also remove humidity that can cause the growth of mold and mildew.
The key to proper ventilation is to keep the air moving and removing it out
Try Air Filters and Air Purifiers
One easy solution to improve indoor air quality is to add air filters and air purifiers to your home.
Add a filter to the HVAC system and change them every six to twelve months. These will improve air quality by stopping many of the outdoor contaminants from entering your home.
The best kind of filters to use are HEPA filters—high-efficiency particle air filters. Try to avoid filters that use UV light, ionizers, and hydroxyl radical generators, as they can cause more air pollution.
Inside your home, you may also consider adding an air purifier. These devices can filter out the pollutants in a room, removing germs, bacteria, and viruses. They can also remove smoke and dust from the space.
You’ll also want to look for HEPA filters inside your air purifier for the best results.
Prevent and Test for Mold and Mildew
Mold and mildew are two of the biggest causes of poor air quality inside your home. And unfortunately, it’s one of the easiest contaminants to occur inside your home.
Trapped humidity can cause the growth of mold and mildew, especially in bathrooms and kitchens. While some can be unsightly, other varieties can be toxic. However, breathing in mold spores is not good for anyone’s health.
You can have your home tested for mold and mildew by a professional to know how to proceed with the removal. But you may also want to put steps in place to prevent mold, like lowering the humidity and bettering the ventilation.
Get a Radon Detector
Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, and odorless gas. It’s found in most soil types and can seep into your home through the foundation. Because humans can’t detect this gas on their own, it can be dangerous.
In large amounts, radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer. You can have your home tested for radon and add a radon detector to your home to prevent this.
If you do find the presence of radon, you can hire a company that will mitigate and remove the contaminant.
Clean Air Ducts and Vents
Your air conditioner may be one factor standing between you and good indoor air quality. Buildup in air ducts and vents makes them run poorly and sends contaminants into the air.
The AC can draw contaminants from outdoors and bring them inside your home. And any vents meant to pull contaminants out can get clogged over time and use.
The best solution is to clean your air ducts and all vents throughout your home regularly. Cleaning at least once a year can help prevent lower air quality.
Airtight Windows and Doors
Your doors and windows are the gateways to the outside. And while they’re meant to open, they shouldn’t let anything in when they’re closed. Windows and doors can let out all the outdoor air pollutants you’re trying to keep out.
Smoke, dust, and pollen can enter through cracked window frames and leaky doors. These pollutants can build up inside your home, ruining indoor air quality.
One solution is to keep your doors and windows closed as much as possible. However, you’ll also want to seal or patch any leaks in the frames to make your doors and windows as airtight as possible.
Avoid Indoor Smoke
Do you enjoy burning candles to make your home smell like a tropical beach or fresh fruit, or fresh, clean laundry? Or maybe you love the cozy feeling of a fire in the fireplace on a cool evening.
As much as we all love candles and a wood-burning fire, the smoke can do damage to your overall indoor air quality. It may be hard to give up, but eliminating burning candles and wood can improve indoor air quality.
If you can eliminate it altogether, reducing the number of times your burn something indoors will do wonders for the air.
Improve Indoor Air Quality and Improve Your Health
You may not have thought much about it, but your health and indoor air quality are linked. While you may avoid the outside because the air quality can affect your health, you can’t avoid your home every day.
Instead, you should focus on improving the air quality in your home with these easy tips. With a few lifestyle changes, the air in your home can be much cleaner and healthier for you to breathe.
Ready to take the first step towards better air quality? Contact us to get a quote for mold testing and removal, air duct decontamination, and disinfecting!
