Did you know that your indoor air quality might be lacking?
Indoor air quality is a big part of what makes a house feel comfortable and inviting. Sometimes, it can even make clean, well-kept homes feel dirty and muggy.
It can also trigger asthma attacks, and it can lead to the development of long-term breathing problems if your family is regularly exposed to irritants and other harmful elements in the air. What many folks don’t realize about maintaining the air in their homes clean is that it isn’t just a matter of vacuuming or dusting.
The detergents and other products you use can contribute negatively to your indoor air quality, and so can many of your home appliances. So, to keep your home safe, here are 11 areas where you can do quality control on the air in your home.
Your vacuum
Most vacuum cleaners include basic HEPA-rated air filters. But you know the old saying: you get what you pay for!
So opting for a premium vacuum cleaner with a top-of-the-line air filtration system and the ability to entrap the finest particles in your carpet and air can significantly benefit you.
It’s true that you have to clean it regularly and keep it from over-filling when using it to get the full benefits of this upgrade, but when you clean your home with a top-notch vacuum in optimal condition, you’ll definitely notice the difference right away.
Your furnace filter
Upgrading to a new furnace filter every six months is highly recommended in nearly every home furnace maintenance schedule. Since air filters are replaced often, it can be tempting to go the budget-friendly route and get lower-end filters with basic features.
But installing an air that’s HEPA-rated, carbon-activated, or specially designed to be hypoallergenic allows you to trap finer and more particles, making your overall indoor air quality much better without all that much effort.
Your central air unit
Let’s just all be honest here: It’s very easy to overlook our furnace check-ups when we don’t see any significant issues with our home heating system. The same goes for air conditioners, both central air units and the portable type.
But the truth is that keeping up with routine maintenance on these units, including tune-ups and inspections that require you to call in a specialist, will mean that your home air circulation will be much more efficient, making it much easier for your furnace filter to do its job properly.
Pet dander
Most of us consider our beloved pets as part of the family. Dogs and cats, particularly, while adorable and loyal companions, can affect the indoor air quality inside of our homes.
Dander and pet hair can build up on carpets and blow around in the circulating air, which can cause respiratory issues when it stockpiles inside your home.
Artificially scented air fresheners
Always depending on artificial air fresheners and other scent options like incense or candles means putting contaminants back into the air.
While they’re fantastic at covering up the signs of poor indoor air quality very well, they also contribute to the issues that come from having too many fine particles in the atmosphere, irritating throats and lungs, and leading to concerns for those with asthma and other allergies.
Candles and incense are direct issues because smoke and other carbon particles get into the air alongside the artificial scents. So, if you need a fresh scent to rejuvenate your home, consider dry alternatives made from natural ingredients, like orange peels, for instance.
They’ll help freshen up your home and improve your indoor air quality without adding to existing problems with your air.
Bathroom mold and other moisture issues
Inspecting under bathroom and kitchen sinks for black mold and cleaning any deposits you find right away is a critical way to protect your family’s overall health.
Mold isn’t just destructive to your respiratory system. It can be toxic in other ways too. If you find any deposits, be sure to clean them with a borax or borax/citrus mixture for fast, effective results.
Then, reevaluate the area for any repairs or other maintenance problems you might need to fix, and dry everything out before attempting any repairs. For mold in your bathroom, remember to run ventilation fans for at least half an hour after showers and baths to help prevent new buildup.
Pesticides
An invasion of pests is one of the most awkward things you can deal with in your home. Cockroaches, ants, and spiders can be shocking in any home.
On the other hand, the pesticides used to prevent and treat pests can damage your indoor air quality. Pesticide chemicals are strong enough to kill insects, and the fumes can influence your respiratory system if the area isn’t well-ventilated.
Home appliances
Air conditioning units and furnaces aren’t the only places where air filters work to keep the air in your home fresh and clean.
Dehumidifiers, vacuum cleaners, stove hoods, home air purifiers, and clothes dryers circulate the air, and they all have filters that must be regularly cleansed, as well as fans and ducting that can spread dirty air if they’re not properly maintained.
Inspecting and fixing any problems with these appliances, or even just cleaning their air filters on a regular basis, will significantly help your home’s indoor air quality.
Not having an air purifier
Getting an air purifier is worthwhile if you don’t already have one. They help pull dust and other suspended particles out of your indoor air, so your furnace filter doesn’t need to work as hard as it does now.
Many models can also trap fine particles that would normally come to rest on your carpet, where your vacuum would have to soak it up. This is an important step toward air purity that also happens to have the bonus effect of reducing the amount of work involved in applying your other strategies.
Artificial cleaning products
We all hear a lot about toxins and other health issues regarding indoor air quality. And sometimes, some warnings are a bit over the top. But when it comes to detergents, cleaning agents, and other household chemicals, there are a lot of harsh fumes that linger involved, causing distress for those with sensitive respiratory systems, especially children.
You can quickly decrease chemical fumes around your home and make breathing easier without compromising cleanliness.
Common, natural citrus can be used to create various home cleaning agents that will keep your air fresh while they scrub every one of your surfaces clean. Other options include using vinegar, tea tree oil, or natural solutions.
Paints and varnishes
If you’ve ever walked into a home with freshly refinished hardwood floors, you’ll recognize the strong smell of polyurethane.
And most folks are also very familiar with the scent of a newly painted room. While these smells can signify a finished project, the fumes also greatly affect indoor air quality and can easily trigger respiratory issues.
The bottom line
Maintaining the indoor air quality in your home fresh and clean is a never ending process. But it doesn’t have to be a struggle.
Investing in the proper cleaning strategies and the equipment to stay on top of everything is a matter of adjusting to a new process. Yet, once you’ve made that adjustment, the day-to-day maintenance becomes effortless, and you’ll enjoy the benefits for many years to come.
So how’s the indoor air quality of YOUR home? Have you experienced any issues? Be sure to share your thoughts with The Home Team in the comments section below.
And if you found this article helpful you might want to also check out: Are You Cleaning Your Keurig Properly?
