One topic that’s being discussed in more households lately has to do with air quality. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the amount of air pollution indoors can be two to five times as high as it is outdoors.
This means, whether you’re at work or home, indoor air quality can have a huge impact on your health. Problems associated with poor air quality include respiratory infections and sinus infections along with an increased number of asthma and allergy attacks.
Homeowners in Spring, TX, however, can breathe a sigh of relief, as there are several easy and inexpensive ways of boosting the air quality in every household. Here are some expert tips to improve indoor air quality.
Stop Using Toxic Cleaning Products
Many households keep gallons of cleaning products, such as soaps, detergents, bleach, disinfectants, and polishes, around the home or under the kitchen sink.
What you may not know is that many of these contain harmful chemicals, including ammonia, chlorine, formaldehyde, phosphates and petroleum-based compounds, which can pollute the air in your home even if you’re not currently spraying them around the house or wiping them on common surfaces.
Luckily, there are many eco-friendly alternatives available at large retail outlets making it easy to replace traditional products. Try avoiding any cleaners that come with health warning labels. Even better, you can learn how to make homemade cleaners using natural ingredients such as water, baking soda, vinegar or lemon juice.
Bring the Power of Nature Indoors
Want to beautify your home while cleaning up the air at the same time? Houseplants have the amazing ability to spruce up an abode while acting as a natural air purifier. The more plants you have around the house, the higher the impact they have on air quality.
Take note of these plants if you want the most effective natural air cleaners: Peace Lily, Lady Palm, Bromeliad, Dracaena, Boston Fern, Spider Plant, Jade Plant and Aloe Vera.
Get Fresh Air Inside Your Home
Probably the easiest and most effective way of reducing the amount of air pollution indoors is by opening a few windows and ventilating the air.
This allows fresh air to come in and contaminated air to be let outside. It’s especially important to do this while cooking, especially if you use a gas stove, which is a major source of air pollution.
Ventilating the air in your home also lowers moisture levels inside. If you have a fan in your bathroom, make sure to use it every time you shower to lower the condensation caused by steam and stop mold and mildew growth in its tracks. If you’re worried, there’s too much outdoor air pollution in your area to risk keeping windows open, installing trickle vents or exhaust fans are good at safely cycling the air in your home.
Replace the HVAC Filter Regularly
Every central heating and air conditioning system comes with a filter, and these typically do a good job of preventing any dust and debris from spreading throughout a home.
Once these filters become clogged and dirty, however, they’re unable to perform this duty and may also affect the efficiency of your HVAC system. Ensure the air stays clean while maintaining good airflow by checking the filter every few months to determine whether or not it needs to be replaced.
All it takes is a few simple steps to make sure everybody in your household doesn’t have to deal with the hazards of poor indoor air quality. Protect your family’s health and safety with these low-cost measures.