6 Tips to Improve the Air Quality of Your Home

With more and more adults working from home, and an increasing number of students completing their education online, it is more important than ever to keep the risk of indoor air pollution as low as possible. Children and people living with respiratory conditions are at an especially high risk of being affected by poor indoor air quality (IAQ). We want to share a few easy habits you can adopt to ensure that the air quality in your home is optimal for everyone.

1. Keep your home clean.
   A clean house is a healthy house. Dust, pet dander, and even mold can accumulate in various areas throughout your home. The worst culprits are linens and carpets, so make sure you vacuum regularly (this is extra important if you have a lot of carpet in your home), clean your bedding, drapes, and other items that tend to attract allergens. Consider using dust mite-proof covers on your mattress and pillows for an extra layer of protection.

2. Ensure you have good ventilation in your home and keep the air circulating.
   The more space there is for air to circulate, the lower the concentration of air pollutants. Improving the ventilation in your home is an easy way to improve your air quality. You can do this by occasionally opening doors in your home and ensuring that furniture is kept away from baseboards and heating vents. Many indoor air pollutants come from the kitchen, especially from the stove, so make sure to turn on your kitchen vents to keep the air circulating and open a window to help clear the air even more.

3. Test the air quality in your home regularly.
   We have all heard the horror stories of residents discovering too late that toxic gas is in their home. It can be easy for gases to accumulate in an enclosed space and be harmful to you and your family, especially in more extreme temperatures when we close the windows. Every home should have multiple smoke and at least one carbon monoxide detector, which will trigger if the levels get to be too high. However, testing for other contaminants such as mold or chemicals is not recommended because they are difficult to measure correctly. In these cases, proper ventilation is usually sufficient for improving the air quality.

4. Change your air filters.
   If you have an HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system in your home, it will have a filter that will need to be changed regularly. These filters trap dust and other airborne irritants to keep them from circulating in the air in your home, but over time they get full and stop working as effectively. Not only does this lead to lower indoor air quality, but it can cause trouble for your HVAC system and lead to costly repairs. Changing the filters is an easy maintenance task that will keep your air quality top-notch.

5. If needed, invest in an air purifier, humidifier, or dehumidifier.
   Sometimes, you can’t control a problem, such as an allergen, dry air, or humid air. It can be wise to invest in a machine for your home in these cases. An air purifier can help capture pollutants that cause your discomfort. A humidifier and dehumidifier help control the humidity level in your home and help prevent mold growth and the spread of dust mites. You may not be able to eradicate the problem entirely, but a machine can undoubtedly lessen it and make you more comfortable.

6. And the easiest tip of all: open your windows!
   Especially during the colder months, it is easy for the air in the house to get stale or contaminated from cooking or cleaning. Even just a couple of inches, opening a window allows the air from inside to escape and the fresh air from outside to come in. It may seem counterproductive to keeping your home temperature comfortable, but it is crucial for air circulation and to allow an influx of fresh air to enter your home.

The air pollution in your home can sometimes be just as harmful or even worse than outdoors in the city. Luckily, you can take several easy preventive measures to improve your indoor air quality, such as vacuuming your carpets regularly and changing the air filters. Once you take steps to ensure that the air quality in your home is safe, you can breathe easy knowing that you did the right thing for yourself and your family.