6 Simple Ways to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality

We all know that outdoor air quality can be harmful. We see the smog and haze in the air, and we hear about how it can affect our health. But what many people don’t realize is that indoor air quality can be just as bad as, or even worse than, outdoor air pollution.

The EPA states that indoor air is two to five times more polluted than outdoor air thanks to a variety of contaminants such as lead, fire-retardants, CO2, and other harmful chemicals. These polluted elements have been linked with various allergies, asthma attacks, and other problems in kids and adults alike.

Fortunately, there are some simple ways you can improve indoor air quality in your own home.

• Change the filters on your furnace and AC unit regularly to limit incoming dust, pollen, mold spores, pet dander, bacteria, and viruses from outside.
• Replace carpeting with hardwood or tile flooring so there are no chemicals released from those items as they age over time.
• Clean regularly with a natural cleaner to eliminate mold and other allergens from your home.
• Avoid burning candles or incense, that could release harmful fumes into the air. Instead, try aromatherapy diffusers that use essential oils as opposed to chemicals to create pleasant scents in your space.

There are many ways you can improve your indoor environment to create healthy living conditions for you and your family! The quality of air in your home is critical to your family’s health.

Here are six other tips that can help you improve your indoor air quality:

1. Change Your AC Filter

Your air conditioner works hard to keep your rooms at optimal temperatures. To do that, it cycles the indoor air through a filter to keep the air clean. However, the air filters in your AC clog up quickly with all the dust and dirt they collect. Therefore, replace your AC filters every one to three months to keep your air clean. This also helps minimize the stress on your AC, thus reducing the maintenance cost and enhancing its lifespan.

2. Use Cooking Vents

A lot of indoor air pollutants, like carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, can be traced back to your kitchen caused by the burning of stoves and electric burners. Therefore, always use the kitchen vent and exhaust when cooking. You can also open the windows to let in fresh air during and after cooking.

3. Keep Your Rugs and Carpets Clean

Rugs and carpets offer various benefits like comfort, soundproofing, and enhanced aesthetics of your home. Unfortunately, they also trap dust, pollen, and other micro-particles in their fibers quickly. A rug or a carpet acts as a natural air filter by trapping these elements, but they can also cause allergies and other health problems if not cleaned regularly. Clean your rugs and carpet at least once a week to keep them dust-free.

4. Control Humidity in Your Home

Hot and humid conditions in your home invite mold and fungus to breed. These molds and fungi can spread a lot of diseases that can cause respiratory problems. Therefore, you must maintain the humidity in your home during humid summers using dehumidifiers and the humidity control function of your thermostat.

5. Buy Indoor Plants to Freshen the Air

Plants are natural air purifiers that produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide to make your indoor air clean and healthy. You can add various indoor plants like Bamboo Palm, Chinese Evergreen, English Ivy, Ficus, and Gerbera to your home’s interior to freshen up your indoor air. These plants increase the supply of fresh air, making them a win-win for all.

6. Invest in an Air Purifier

Although plants can freshen up your air quality and even clean it to an extent, they cannot remove harmful chemicals, fungi, mold, or bacteria like E. coli and MRSA from your indoor air. However, investing in good-quality air purifiers like PuriFi™ Air Purifiers can take care of these severe allergens and disease-spreading elements to keep your home air pure and safe for everyone.

About Gorjanc Home Services

If you want professional help to install and maintain high-quality air purifying systems at your home in the Cleveland region, Gorjanc Home Services is your one-stop destination. Our experienced technicians can maintain and install home cooling and heating, plumbing, and electrical systems. We have been providing excellent services to our clients since 1963. You can call us at (216) 545-1776 to schedule an air assessment today. You can also fill our online contact form to book an appointment or to know more.