When it comes to indoor air quality, we're sure you would go above and beyond to keep your family safe and breathing the best air possible.
These 25 simple solutions will bring more fresh air into your home and improve your indoor air quality and reduce those pesky household contaminants.
If you're looking for actionable tips that you can use today, then you'll love this article.
Many homes fall short when it comes to healthy indoor air quality.
Bottom line?
According to CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission), "In the last several years, a growing body of scientific evidence has indicated that the air within homes and other buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities."
"Other research indicates that people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors. Thus, for many people, the health risks may be greater due to exposure to air pollution indoors than outdoors."
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The benefits of houseplants cannot be overstated. Houseplants clean the air. Houseplants actually breathe. They take in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. People and animals take in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. By bringing plants into your home, you're creating a symbiotic relationship, filtering the air, creating fresh oxygen, and beautifying your home. Here are some good houseplants you may want to consider:
Photo by Jackie Tsang on Unsplash
Your home, especially if it is newer, does not breathe well. It re-circulates the same air, over and over. This can be a real problem for indoor air quality. By cracking the windows, you are letting fresh air into your home.
By keeping the floors clean, mopping, vacuuming, and utilizing doormats, you remove particles that will eventually end up in the air.
One of the best indoor air quality tips that will keep your air quality at optimum levels is to just turn your furnace blower on. This serves to re-circulate the air, in your home, through your intake and back out of your home's supply ducts.
Also, make sure your furnace has a filter system with UV lights. UV lights kill microbial bacterial and mold spores. A furnace equipped with a UV light filtration system cleans your air as much as 90% better, which dramatically increases your indoor air quality.
Make certain your furnace has been serviced. If your furnace isn't working up to par, it will not clean your air as well. It can also cause more maintenance problems or even stop working altogether. It is essential to keep your furnace serviced regularly. Contact your furnace service provider for the best maintenance program for your unit.
The air filter in your HVAC system is the front line of defense against poor indoor air quality. A typical central heating and cooling system circulate over 1,000 cubic feet per minute of air through the filter. This means the entire air volume in your house passes through the filter multiple times every day.
A clean filter effectively removes airborne particulates, ranging from dust to invisible microscopic particles. However, a dirty filter can make indoor air quality worse by acting as a reservoir for dirt, dust, and other airborne contaminants that are continuously circulated back into your breathing air.
During both the heating and cooling season, change the air filter monthly. Instead of cheap, throwaway fiberglass panel filters, choose quality pleated fabric filters rated to trap airborne particles down to a size of 3 microns.
When your air filter is clogged, your air handler must work harder to compensate for the airflow blockage. In addition to driving up your utility bill, the reduced airflow through your heating and cooling system can cause your heat exchanger to overheat and shut off too quickly.
"A clogged air filter will allow all that dust and debris that should be filtered out to be re-circulated back into your home. This can cause chronic allergies and especially be dangerous for people with asthma or other respiratory conditions.
If you own pets or keep many chemicals around the house, the indoor air quality will be even worse with a clogged filter. You might not notice a sniffle here or there, but over time, poor indoor air quality will impact your health in a very negative way."
Changing your HVAC air filter could prevent serious problems.
Change your air filters according to your manufacturer's recommendations.
The Simple Way to Change Your Furnace Filter
Changing your air filter is a simple task that will save you money and keep your air cleaner. You can't afford to skip this easy undertaking.
Replacing stale indoor air is another option for homeowners asking how to improve indoor air quality. Simply opening doors and windows isn’t a viable option in frigid winter weather or the heat of summer.
The goal of proper ventilation is balance. Remove stagnant, unhealthy air and replace it with an equal amount of fresh, filtered outdoor air to dilute indoor contaminants and restore healthy air quality. Heat recovery ventilators (HRV) are now the gold standard for residential ventilation.
Utilizing small diameter dedicated ductwork connected to a central controller, an HRV removes stale air from the kitchen, bathrooms, and utility rooms while adding a precisely equal volume of fresh outdoor air to bedrooms and other living spaces. Inside the controller, a heat exchange core helps preserve indoor temperatures by pre-warming incoming fresh air in winter and cooling it in summer.
Not enough ventilation or poor upkeep of your ventilation system can cause or contribute to the development of infections, lung cancer, and chronic lung diseases like asthma.
In previous decades, older homes had their own source of ventilation. They were "leaky". Homes came with little or no insulation in the walls, so fresh air could easily enter through gaps, cracks, and holes in the building.
Humidity accumulates in tightly-sealed residential environments due to activities like cooking, bathing, and simply breathing. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends indoor humidity levels between 30 percent and 60 percent. High indoor humidity creates a breeding ground for toxic mold and bacteria.
High humidity will make your home IAQ take a considerable effort to maintain. Using a dehumidifier will help you manage the quality of your air that can trigger health issues in your home.
The optimum humidity level in your home depends on your personal preferences, clothing, and level of physical activity.
ASHRAE* suggests a range of 45% - 55% humidity to manage health effects and illnesses.
Comfortable: 30% - 60%
Recommended: 45% - 55%
High: 55% - 80%
[Infographic] How to manage home humidity levels through the seasons.
Active growing mold releases airborne reproductive spores by the millions, contaminating household air. If household humidity is consistently above recommended levels, consider installing a whole-house dehumidifier inside your HVAC ductwork to maintain healthy indoor air quality.
Controlled by a wall-mounted humidistat, just like the thermostat that operates your furnace or A/C, a whole-house dehumidifier treats all the air in the home as it passes through the ductwork continuously day and night.
We've all heard about the colorless, odorless, and maybe one of the most toxic substances you could potentially come in contact with, known as carbon monoxide.
The best defense against this very deadly toxin is a carbon monoxide alarm. When we talk about indoor air quality as a whole, most don't usually think of this as a top priority.
"Carbon monoxide is produced by the incomplete burning of fossil fuels, such as gas. This can occur in inadequately maintained or badly fitted domestic heating appliances, such as boilers and gas fires. If your flue or chimney is blocked, CO will be unable to escape your home, allowing a dangerous concentration to build up quickly." [diy.com]
Step 1: Choose a location where the alarm is free from children and pets and stay clean. Place near heating, for example, your gas furnace.
Step 2: Measure the distance between the mounting holes on the back of the mounting bracket.
Step 3: Mark the distance on your chosen location.
Step 4: Drill small holes on the marked spot.
Step: 5: Attach the mounting bracket to the surface with the screws supplied.
Step 6: Mount the rest of the detector. It also applies to smoke detectors.
Always make it a priority to test your detectors routinely. And change the batteries twice a year. A good rule of thumb is spring and fall (when you change your clocks).
Please take note of the instruction and guide that came with your specific brand of detector. Also important to note, you should have your heating system, water heater, and any other gas, oil, or coal-burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year.
Sounds simple right?
Studies show that regular dusting and vacuuming weekly can significantly reduce the harmful allergens, dust, and mites that pollute your home and lungs. The best vacs for asthma and allergies feature several technologies, among which one may count as a sealed system that uses a special HEPA filter.
It's no joke.
Indoor air pollution has become a leading source of environmental pollution. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ranked indoor air pollution among the top 5 environmental dangers.
No matter how clean you think, your home is, those pesky microscopic "relatives of the spider" exist. They can be found on your bedding, carpets, drapes, and upholstered furniture.
We may not totally eliminate them, but we can use these five preventative strategies to keep them at bay.
If you are concerned about the air quality in your home or office, you may want to have an air quality test performed.
An indoor air quality test done by a trained professional can help you figure out what kind of airborne problems you might be having and what you need to do to fix them.
The five main steps in the test are:
While you can purchase a DIY indoor air testing kit, these generally just serve as an indicator of whether or not you need to have professional testing done.
Some DIY kits may miss contaminants that a professional will catch, making it dangerous to rely on if you suspect something is wrong. Once a professional gives you their final report, you can rest knowing your air quality is good or take action to make it that way.
Installing a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) or energy-recovery ventilator (ERV) is one way you can help improve the air quality in your home. An HRV or ERV system will replace stale indoor air with fresh outside air.
Trained professionals can identify problem sources and help create a plan for the best indoor air quality solution for you.
The air inside your home is essential for more than comfort, it's essential for life. You know what I'm talking about for those who have asthma and horrible reactions to allergens.
It can get tricky. Proper balance is hard to find. We suggest air purifiers because they can remove airborne contaminants and allergens.
They will trap approximately 98% or more pollen and mold spores, depending on the unit your home requires.
According to the Mayo Clinic, 93% of Chronic Sinus Infections have been attributed to mold. As we breathe in the spores that float through the air, that mold can grow in our sinus cavities and lungs.
Mold has a way of prevailing. Humidity, dampness, leaks, and condensation in the right conditions can cause mold to grow almost anywhere.
At Central Heating & Air Conditioning, we know that indoor home air quality has never been more critical for our families' health and safety. Give your family peace of mind with the unmatched indoor air quality they deserve with the Aprilaire 2210 Whole Home Air Purifier and the Reme Halo In-Duct Air Purifier.
Talk to our team today to save when you equip your home with both!
Air duct cleaning is a maintenance service provided by some HVAC companies, with the promise of cleaner air and better HVAC system efficiency.
Significant amounts of dust or large obstructions in the ductwork are two concerns of some homeowners considering this service.
Keep in mind, the easier it is for the air to flow through your air ducts, the easier it is for your system to deliver that air to your living spaces.
There is evidence that checking your air ducts can help to identify specific problems that may help you take steps to keep your HVAC system running efficiently.
Here is a video by The HVAC Inspection, Maintenance, and Restoration Association on proper air duct cleaning:
Source: YouTube, The NADCA Guide to Proper Air Duct Cleaning by NADCAHVAC
For so many reasons, smoking is bad. Tobacco contains harmful pollutants. It's been noted that the smoke you exhale contains more than 4,000 different chemicals.
Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is a significant contributor to indoor air pollution. For decades it is well documented that ETS can be harmful to human health and causes premature death and disease.
Have your smokers...step outside.
Radon gas can be emitted naturally by the ground in certain areas.
"Radon is an invisible, odorless gas that can cause lung cancer. Although radon may be released from building materials, in most cases, the source is natural radon found in the soils and rock on which your home is built.
A house can act as a chimney: warm air rising inside causes a negative pressure in basements or at the slab level. This negative pressure can suck in gases, including radon."
"95 percent of chemicals used in synthetic fragrances are derived from petroleum (yep, crude oil) and include benzene derivatives (carcinogenic), aldehydes, toluene, and many other known toxic chemicals". [source]
Probably not so good for the air you breathe.
A couple of tips...
1. Choose "unscented" and "fragrance-free" products for laundry and cleaning purposes. Traditional household cleaning products are among the leading contributors to indoor air quality problems.
2. Look for plant-based scents.
3. Use baking soda to eliminate odors in the house (it works well in the refrigerator).
4. Try to use fewer aerosol spray products.
Ensure new cabinets, furniture, and building materials such as plywood, particleboard, and oriented strand board (OSB) used in your home are not made with adhesives containing formaldehyde. [Today'sHomeowner.com...]
"Formaldehyde is a toxic gas that is given off by a surprising number of items in our homes. As a constituent of many manufactured items, formaldehyde can be found in:
How can you tell what types of furniture could potentially release formaldehyde gas?
One of the primary uses of formaldehyde is adhesives. If your furniture is made out of “wood,” something other than solid natural wood, it is likely to emit formaldehyde. Items like plywood, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), chipboard, and particleboard all rely on glue to hold them together, and each of these can be high in formaldehyde."
VOC equals volatile organic compound.
Because they're volatile, these compounds vaporize and emit gasses, even long after they've dried. Paint, for example, emits only half of its VOCs in the first year. It can cause symptoms such as headaches and dizziness.
"For a paint to actually call itself "low-VOC," the EPA requires that it have no more than 250 grams per liter (g/l) of VOCs for flat and latex paint -- oil-based paints can have up to 380 g/l. (Some places, like California, have even stricter standards.) To call itself VOC-free, paint can have no more than 5 g/l of VOCs."
VOC-rich air in your home can increase the risk of developing asthma or allergies. If possible, use paints in VOCs or contain no VOCs.
Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash
When your pets shed, their fur can become airborne and clog your filters. I already addressed the issue of a clogged air filter in tip #4. It will hinder your system's efficiency.
But with pet hair comes dander...
"Pet dander is composed of tiny, even microscopic flakes of skin shed by cats and dogs. Many people are allergic to dander and suffer due to poorly cleaned air filters that become inundated with pet hair and dander.
Ductwork is made of metal, which causes it to attract pet hair and dander. When the furnace or cooler turns on, a little of the mixture of dander and hair blows through the system, and you and your family end up breathing it in."
Fans, like your air filters, collect a lot of dust. Dusty fans circulate ... dust.
Take the time to clean your ceiling fan blades and while you're there, reverse the direction of your ceiling fan.
Hard to think those cute teddy bears or your pillow you use daily could have dust mites.
Service Master Clean suggests "to get rid of them, put the stuffed toys and pillows in a waterproof laundry bag and place it in a freezer. Let it cool for a few hours. The low temperatures will kill all the dust mites, which will tremendously contribute to cleaner indoor air."
Another how to clean your pillows because they are grosser than you could imagine...
Throw them in the wash. Pillows are ideal breeding grounds for dust mites and the flu.
"Research stated that after two years, approximately 1/3 of a pillow’s weight contains dead skin, dust mites (which eat the dead skin), and droppings (poop from all those mites). Additionally, 10% of people and 80% of allergy sufferers are allergic to proteins found in waste and decomposed dust mites!"
Shoes can carry bacteria into your home. This can cause all types of infections.
While carpets and doormats reduce dirt and other outdoor air pollutants from getting into your house, it is more effective to adopt a “no-shoe” policy in your home.
Install a quality range hood vented to the outside with the recommended CFM (cubic feet per minute) airflow for your stove.
You may be thinking, “But my microwave already has a fan. Why do I need a vent hood?”
While over-the-range microwaves are convenient, they don’t extend far enough over the stove for proper venting, and they often aren’t vented to the outside.
This may come as a surprise, but many indoor air pollutants come from your kitchen. Specifically, gas stoves release harmful contaminants like nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide into the air when cooking.
Even electric burners can produce the same pollutants (just in lower levels) as well as other particles that can be absorbed into your bloodstream easily.
Using cooking vents when you're cooking (or opening windows if you don't have a properly working vent) can help filter out the air.
While this might sound both annoying and a little extreme, it's a handy way to improve indoor air quality in your home.
By frequently drawing out the air in your home with these exhaust fans, you're bringing in fresh air to replace it, keeping your air as fresh as possible. [source]
This is a tough tip to deliver, but those scented candles, air diffusers, and air fresheners you love are probably only making your indoor air quality worse.
Some of these air freshening items contain VOCs like benzene, formaldehyde, and toluene that can be hazardous to health by irritating your eyes, nose, and throat as well as headaches, according to Real Simple.
As we mentioned above, many disinfecting, cosmetic, degreasing, and cleaning products contain harmful VOCs as well.
Updating your thermostat to improve indoor air quality is just one of the many benefits you can take advantage of by making the swap.
It's crucial to look for a thermostat for your home that has a "circulate mode." Some thermostats run your indoor fan for 20 minutes every hour, while others can allow the fan to run continuously at a reduced speed for constant airflow.
Following these indoor air quality tips isn't all that difficult, but it does require some effort. By bringing in houseplants, opening your windows, keeping your floors clean, and circulating the air through a maintained furnace, you're taking the proper steps to care for yourself and your family.
The question of how to improve air quality in your home is a year-round issue. The answer lies in a multi-faceted approach that addresses the sources of poor air quality. Controlling the dust, mold, or lack of ventilation and maintaining your home's humidity will help improve the air quality in your home as well.
Several factors can cause indoor air pollution and trigger asthma, allergies, and a plethora of other illnesses. These 25 indoor air quality solutions listed are a refreshing start to improving your air.
Give your family the indoor air quality they deserve by equipping your home with our unmatched air purifiers. Talk to our team to learn more about the benefits of these purifiers and how you can save when you equip your home with both air purifiers!
