How to Improve Air Quality in Your Home

The quality of the air we breathe indoors has been a topic of many articles in recent years. The fact of the matter is that indoor air can be much more detrimental to our health than the air we breathe outdoors, especially if we neglect some common practices when it comes to maintaining our indoors and keeping our indoor air as clean as possible. 

That being said, it can happen quite often that we make our indoor air much worse than it needs to be without even realizing it. Smoking, not airing out our living spaces and even having pets can significantly affect the air we breathe on a daily basis. Therefore, increasing the awareness about indoor air quality and discussing the ways we can improve it becomes more important than ever. 

Symptoms of poor air quality

Since the air we breathe has no color and (preferably) no smell, it can be somewhat difficult to determine whether it is of the optimal quality or not. However, if you notice that you’re often feeling tired, you get headaches more often than you are used to without seemingly any reason or that you are getting winded or out of breath easily, that are some of the most common signs of poor indoor air quality. So, if you notice any of these symptoms, it might be time to see how you can improve your indoor air. 

Sources of pollutants

On a similar note, every household has a few sources of indoor air pollution in common. The first and most obvious one is carbon monoxide, or the odorless invisible gas most commonly used in heating systems. This gas can be quite harmful – and potentially even lethal – if not noticed on time. Aside from carbon monoxide, asbestos poisoning also presents a real threat, especially in older houses. Since asbestos was used as an insulating agent in older homes, chances are that it’s also present in yours.

That’s why you should find experts for asbestos air monitoring and see if you are exposed to this threat in your home. Some other common pollutants are definitely the indoor dust that accumulates mostly in your furniture and carpets – which is why regular maintenance is key – and cigarette smoke – which is why you should avoid smoking indoors. 

Keep it clean

As already mentioned, one of the best ways to ensure that the indoor air you breathe is of good quality is to keep your indoors clean. Regular vacuuming and dusting will prevent the majority of air pollutants from accumulating, thus reducing the harmful particles found in the air we breathe. This step becomes even more important if you’re a pet owner, as pets can bring in a lot of grime and dust on their fur, that can easily get released into the air you breathe. 

Simply open a window

Airing your home out on a regular basis is also a good way to keep your indoors clean, especially if you equip your windows with mosquito nets. Not only will these keep those pesky insects out, but they will also prevent larger dust formations and even some allergens from entering your home. By keeping your windows open, you’ll ensure a constant influx of fresh outdoor air, which is the number one way to keep your indoor air clean and safe.

Control humidity

Humidity also plays a huge role in indoor air quality. The reason behind this is the fact that some of the most common bacteria and viruses that can cause respiratory infections thrive in areas where the air humidity is either too high or too low. Aside from these, mold spores and dust mites prefer higher air humidity and they can cause severe allergic reactions and seriously hinder your overall health. That’s why you should consider investing in a quality air humidifier that will enable you to control the humidity levels of your indoor air and keep them optimal at any given moment. 

Use cleaners without toxic chemicals

The next group of items that can negatively affect the quality of your indoor air are definitely various cleaning solutions you use to maintain your home. The majority of store-bought solutions contain toxic chemicals that can be really detrimental for your health. That’s why you should try to avoid any cleaning solutions that contain any harsh chemicals and replace them with organic cleaning solutions. These are most commonly based on the mixture or citric acid, baking soda and other harmless compounds we are normally not affected by, at least not in a negative sense. 

Fill your home with plants

Not only is using indoor plants an excellent way to instantly add style and pizzazz to your living environment, but they are actually really good for our health as well. One of the main reasons indoor plants affect our health in a positive way is the fact that they are excellent – and most importantly natural – air purifiers. Aside from that, plants are known to have a positive effect on our overall well-being as well, which is just another reason to consider incorporating them in your indoors. 

Therefore, if you haven’t thought about the quality of your indoor air, it is definitely the time to start. Besides, we spend the majority of our free time indoors, so it is only natural that we want to do all in our power to make the air we breathe every day as clean and as safe as it can possibly get.