Everyday Tips To Clean Indoor Air
Modern homes are built airtight to improve energy efficiency which results in positive environmental impact as well as savings in heating and cooling homes. It sounds like a great thing, however, an airtight home has some pitfalls. Keeping the air in could mean the pollutants are also stuck inside and that can have significant ramifications for your health.
The average individual spends approximately 90% of their time indoors; the pandemic has contributed to an increase in our time spent indoors. If you are self-isolating, you could be spending up to 100% of your time inside your home. As safe as home might seem to be when it comes to reducing covid-19 risks, it could also dramatically affect your health.
Indeed, indoor pollution is not something that homeowners can afford to ignore. As a rule of thumb, the concentration of pollutants at home can be up to 5 times higher than the outdoor concentrations. Unfortunately, people who are the more sensitive to the harmful effects of the pollution are those who tend to spend more time indoors, such as elderly adults, babies, and toddlers, vulnerable individuals who are practicing social distancing during the pandemic, etc.
Here are some smart and cost-effective tips that use items you've already got available at home to tackle indoor pollutants and make your home safer. You don't have to break the bank to improve your air quality.
Keep things tidy
Cleaning and dusting your home on a regular basis will keep pollutants and allergens at bay. Be sure to vacuum your carpet at least once a week and wash your bedding often. These regular household chores can improve your air quality. If you don’t have time to vacuum twice a week, consider investing in a smart robot vacuum that will automatically do it for you!
Installation of dedicated filtering solutions
Ideally, you want some air quality solutions that can not only regulate temperatures inside your home but also filter pollutants. In other words, your HVAC unit could be crucial to the way you manage pollutants at home. Elevated temperatures, for instance, can accelerate the spread of some pollutants, especially if they contribute to the apparition of moist and warm environments. Your air conditioning system can reduce risks by maintaining a healthy indoor temperature. Additionally, it’s a good idea to schedule servicing and air filter replacement regularly. Experts recommend servicing your HVAC once to twice a year. The air filter should be changed every three months.
Maximizing vegetal purification
There has been much debate about whether or not plants can help purify the air. The NASA Clean Air Study provided a list of plants with purifying properties that would make the air in space stations cleaner. The results suggest that some plants can remove volatile pollutants from the air, such as English Ivy, Florist’s chrysanthemum, and Peace Lily. However, the home environment is much different than a space station. While the presence of house plants may not have the overall air purification benefits like some would suggest, it continues to offer improvements such as the reduction of formaldehyde levels. Formaldehyde is used in common building materials such as plywood and carpeting. To care for your houseplants, you can get smart plant sensors and monitors that can help homeowners keep their plants healthy for years to come.
Understanding where pollutants come from
Homeowners need to educate themselves to recognize air pollution risks and potentially toxic materials. Biological pollutants are often referred to as pests, as they unwanted guests such as cockroaches. Most people are familiar with biological toxins. Chemical pollutants, on the other hand, need special attention. VOCs are contained in a lot of the common items inside our homes, including paints, cleaning products, glues, air fresheners, construction materials, etc. Homeowners can arrange for risk audits to monitor the presence of pollutants inside their homes. Ventilation and the removal of harmful pollutant sources can help increase air quality. Experts recommend maintaining good ventilation throughout the house to ensure that pollutants don’t linger unnecessarily.
Let some fresh air in!
It sounds silly but open those windows when the weather is nice! This will allow fresh air to move through the home and remove pollutants along with it. Improving indoor ventilation by simply allowing outside air in is the easiest way to improve your air quality and remove harmful pollutants regularly.
Smart Air purifier
For those with environmental allergies, you should consider an air purifier. These devices can remove gasses, air pollutants, and allergens from the air. It also helps circulate air around the home. There are many options on the market today, including wi-fi-enabled smart purifiers that you can control with your mobile device. You’ll see an air quality report and they will even automatically adjust based on the readings.
Education is at the heart of indoor air improvement. You can’t keep your home safe if you don’t understand where risks come from. Professional audit reports and testing devices can help highlight the areas that require improvements for immediate actions. Homeowners also need to make ventilation, air filtering, and air purification their top priorities by making the most of everyday items at home.