Many people normally associate air pollution with outdoor spaces, but the truth is that the most dangerous contaminants are inside your living space. Household fragrances, cleaners, dust, and pet dander are just some of the volatile organic chemicals and indoor pollutants that frequently appear on many air quality tests done at home. If you want to enhance your house’s air quality, there are many available ways you can use to make improvements. Below is a list of six natural ways that will have your family breathing easy throughout the year.
1. Changing Your AC Filters
Your air conditioning unit is always working to provide your home with even temperatures throughout the year. While cycling through the air in your living space, it is also filtering lots of air contaminants. With time, its air filters might fill up and even stop functioning. That will not only compromise the air quality, but it’ll also wear down your AC unit, leading to expensive repairs in the long run. Therefore, you need to change your filters regularly, especially if you live in a city with a high level of pollution or you have a family member who is allergy-prone.
2. Using Houseplants to Clean the Air
Indoor plants are natural air filters. According to a recent study conducted by NASA, houseplants can effectively purify and refresh the air in our workplaces and homes. They safeguard you from any harmful side-effects related to prevalent toxins like benzene, ammonia, and formaldehyde.
Buying several plants will do wonders to enhance your home’s air quality while enhancing your living space’s decor. You can consider having small plants like lilies and ferns and larger palm trees because they effectively eliminate contaminants from the air.
3. Increasing Ventilation Around Your Home
One of the reasons why the air inside your house is more contaminated than the air outside is because the outdoor environment has natural things like plants and the sun that help filter and purify the air. While having houseplants and opening your windows may help, you may need to invest in an ERV (energy recovery ventilator) to avoid bringing in the outdoor temperatures along with the air.
4. Using Eco-Friendly Household Products
Paints, cleaners, and many other chemical-based products usually release dangerous, volatile organic compounds into the air. They have ingredients that pollute indoor air and can make you sick. Some of the fragrances found in cleaning products can significantly impact people with allergies and asthma. Look for fragrance-free household products, including laundry soaps and bathroom and kitchen cleaners. You can also use natural cleaners like baking soda and lemon to make your living space sparkle.
5. Using Cooking Vents
Most of the air pollutants in your home originate from the kitchen. Your gas stove releases dangerous pollutants, including nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide. Electric burners also produce the same contaminants in lower levels and other easily absorbed particles in the bloodstream. Therefore, ensure to turn on all your kitchen vents when preparing meals or open the windows to purify the air.
6. Checking Your Furniture
Some of the furniture in the market is made with some harmful glues which may contain toxic chemicals. Also, some of the finishing products like varnishes and lacquers might irritate people with asthma and allergies. According to a recent study by the EPA, buying pressed-wood products is an excellent way to prevent formaldehyde exposure in your home. Avoid furniture made of woods that are treated using formaldehyde and assembled with toxic glues.
Final Word
In conclusion, keeping your home’s indoor air pure and safe to breathe does not require lots of work; it only needs preventative maintenance and diligence. Use the few simple tips you’ve learned to minimize indoor air pollution. If you have tried these tips but still have air quality issues, it time to set up an appointment with a professional from Heatwave Heating & Cooling. Our team of experienced professionals will help you find a suitable solution to give you the best indoor air quality possible.
Apart from air infiltration, we also offer a wide range of other services to the residents of Amherst, NY, and the surrounding areas. These services include ductless systems, duct cleaning, smart home systems, tankless water heater services, generator installations, furnace repairs maintenance & installations and AC maintenance, repairs & installations.
Do you want to enhance your air quality? If yes, contact us today, and you will breathe easy knowing that your home’s air is safe and clean. We have an array of service plans, including air purifiers, air cleaners, and AC filter replacements.
