There are many aspects of the home that would be considered important such as the space, the decor, and the overall comfort level.
All of those are important but one thing that many people don’t think about, or take for granted is the quality of the air in the home. Unless the home is excessively dusty, most people assume that the air quality in their home is good, or at least good enough.
However, there are pollutants, allergens, and particulate matter floating around that you cannot see and which could have a negative impact on the air quality in the home.
Fortunately, there are many ways to improve the air quality in the home, and they are all pretty inexpensive. Even better is the fact that they are all easy to implement, so you don’t need to be an expert handyman to do any of them yourself. You do not need to use all of the tips listed here, but you should use at least two of them if you want the air quality in your home to be as high as possible.
How To Improve The Air Quality in Your Home
The following are some easy and cost-efficient ways that you can improve the air quality in your home.
Make Sure That Your Air Filter is Clean
Your HVAC unit has an air filter but it can get dirty after a while. The air filter keeps the air in your home clean by trapping dust, smoke, pollen, and other pollutants and allergens. After a while the filter gets clogged and less effective.
When that happens the filter needs to be cleaned or replaced depending on the type of filter you have. If it is disposable, then you will need to get a new one to replace the dirty filter. If you have a washable filter, then you just need to use a hose to clean it before putting it back in.
The type of filter you have also plays a part in the air quality in your home.
All air filters have a MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) rating that shows you how good they are at trapping particles. Filters with higher MERV ratings are more efficient, so you should get a high MERV rated filter if you want the air quality in your home to be as good as possible.
Buy an Air Purifier
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Keep Your Home Clean
Dust is one of the most common causes of poor air quality in the home and can cause coughing and sneezing even in people who don’t have serious allergies, needless to say, it is far worse for people who do.
Dust is inevitable, especially in rooms where people spend a lot of time, the reason is that a lot of dust is created from dead skin cells. So thoroughly dusting furniture and vacuuming carpets on a regular basis is a great way to get rid of dust, prevent more dust from forming, and improve the air quality in the room.
No Smoking Allowed
Smoking is bad for the health of the person who smokes but it is also bad for the people around them.
Secondhand smoke is a serious problem even though it doesn’t pose the same risks to bystanders as the person doing the smoking.
However, secondhand smoke can still trigger allergic reactions in some people and can cause respiratory problems in others. Plus cigarette smoke sticks to everything and creates a strong, persistent, and unpleasant odour throughout the home. So make your home a no-smoking zone and don’t be afraid to enforce that rule.
Bring the Outdoors Inside
Not only do houseplants spruce up the look of a room, they can also help the air quality in the home. Some plants act as natural air purifiers and can keep the air in the home nice and fresh.
The leaves and roots of certain plants like aloe vera, spider plants, or ferns absorb some chemical pollutants that get released by synthetic materials. So get some greenery in your home to make it look better and smell better.
Open Up a Window
It’s okay to open the windows to let in some fresh air every now and then.
Also, opening up the window allows some of the allergens that have built up in your house to escape. Just make sure that you don’t open up the window when the pollen count is high or there is some other kind of pollutant or allergen floating around outside.
Keep The Air In Your Home Clean
The air in your home is just as important as the air outside of it, but at least you have more control over the air quality inside your home.
As you can see, there are many ways to improve the air quality in your home and none of them are particularly difficult or expensive.
The most important tip is to make sure that your air filter is clean because it is responsible for removing a lot of pollutants and allergens from the air. However, all of the tips are useful in giving your home clean, fresh air that will have your whole family breathing easy.
