Whenever we think about air pollution, we immediately think of the outside. But isn’t that same air entering our houses as well? So, how to improve indoor air quality today? Is it attainable?
Yes, of course, it is. All one needs a few effective measures to achieve a pristine interior atmosphere. There are also plenty of appliances available, like HVAC units or air purifiers which can work magic in improving indoor air quality. But instruments alone won’t do enough.
In this article, I’ve mentioned why maintaining indoor air quality is necessary alongside some effective steps regarding how to improve indoor air quality in your home. So let’s dive right in.
Why Maintaining a Good Indoor Air Quality Is Essential
Research claims that people in the US spend 90% of their average lifetime inside a building. So, to lead a healthy life, you must keep your home and workspace fresh and germ-free.
Ensures Best Air Quality
While indoor gives us comfort in various ways, it can’t directly save us from inhaling polluted air. Also, there can be hundreds of reasons inside your house which is liable for the deteriorating air quality of that space.
Prevents Health Issues
Constantly living with poor quality severely affects our health while causing various ailments. These health issues can range from inconsequential to extremely deadly.
Sinus irritation, breathing issues, fatigue, headache, nasal irritation, dizziness, etc., are quite regular symptoms of breathing degraded air. These symptoms will make your day-to-day activities tougher and severely hamper your productivity.
Then comes the effect of various allergens. We all know how harmful they can be. Besides various harsh physical conditions, allergens also result in insomnia and severe depression.
Any respiratory condition like asthma can reach a deadly state if the patient is exposed to polluted air for too long.
Overall, indoor air pollution can be far more inimical for human health than outdoor pollution. However, as we spend most of our time inside various boxed spaces, keeping the space healthy should be our topmost concern.
Causes of Indoor Air Pollution
You’ll have to understand what causes the pollution before attempting to improve the air quality of your home. And there are various ways in which the indoor atmosphere can deteriorate. I’m mentioning some of them below.
- Outdated Air Filters
Air purifiers can be menacing if not maintained properly. You should never leave the filters of your purifier unchecked. A dirty and worn-out filter will degrade the air quality rather than purify it.
Outdated filters from AC and HVAC units can also cause severe indoor air pollution. So, proper air filter maintenance is extremely important.
- Lack of Proper Ventilation
Rooms that are constantly being exposed to chemicals and other pollutants must have proper ventilation. For instance, cooking produces gases, fumes, smoke, and various other chemicals continuously. If your kitchen doesn’t have a proper ventilation system, the air there would be very deleterious.
- Mold and Mildew
Mildew is actually a type of mold, where the term mold indicates all species of microscopic fungi. Mold and mildew infestation occurs in constantly damp and dirty environments.
A lot of people are very sensitive to the atmosphere of a mold-infested space. Moldy environments cause nasal irritation, sneezing, stuffy nose, red eye, and various other issues.
- Pet Dander
A lot of people accuse pet hair of being the cause of allergies and ailments, but it’s actually pet dander. But pet hair can actually be the breeding ground of dander and many other allergens. So, removing pet hair from the air is extremely important, especially if you’re allergic to dust and pet hair.
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Buying new furniture is exciting, but is it completely safe? The surface of new furniture often contains various volatile organic compounds, and they keep constantly emitting them in the air.
These chemicals originate from the paint, glue, and varnish used on the furniture. Such chemicals can often have harmful effects on the lungs and other organs.
VOCs also exist in various house paint, cleaning and laundry detergents, and many other chemical solutions we use in our daily lives.
Essential Measures to Improve Indoor Air Quality
Maintaining an immaculate indoor atmosphere just requires being cautious and taking a few measures. Let’s find out what they are.
- Get Air Purifiers
Investing in some air purifiers with UV lights or without is one of the best things you can do today for your respiratory system. Air purifiers keep your house clean by removing all the harmful pollutants from the air.
Purifiers with carbon filters can even get rid of harmful chemicals and odor, providing a refreshing atmosphere inside your house and workspace. For removing pet hair and dander from the air, specialized purifiers for pets will be the best choice.
There are types of purifiers that can harm you by creating toxic compounds if left on for a long period. So, it’s better if you avoid these kinds.
- Keep It Clean
If you want good quality air, you’ll need to keep your space as dust free as possible. That’s why you must clean your space regularly. Don’t let layers of dust grow on any surface.
Keeping the area clean will also take a load off your air purifiers. HEPA filter purifies almost any unwanted particles in the air. Maintaining clean surroundings will give the filters less stuff to capture, making them last longer.
- Avoid Harmful Cleaning and Laundry Products
A good cleaning agent will surely provide more effective cleaning, but it might also fill your lungs with poison. Unfortunately, there are some cleaning and laundry agents in the market that emit harmful chemicals like carbon monoxide into the air.
Buy your cleaning agents carefully. There are plenty of good and eco-friendly options out there which don’t contain toxic chemicals.
- Control the Humidity
A damp atmosphere is where invasive bacteria, mold, and microbe bloom. So, you must keep the humidity inside your house under control.
Open your windows and let plenty of airflow and sunlight in for a good portion of the day. Especially when you sleep, make sure there is an adequate supply of airflow inside the room.
Humidity builds up in bathrooms and kitchens really fast. They’re the most suitable places for molds and bacteria. Make sure these rooms have a proper ventilation system. You can aid the ventilation process by installing ventilating fans.
If you’re finding it difficult to keep the interior humidity in check, getting a dehumidifier will be a great help.
- Avoid VOC Generating Products
VOCs have plenty of sources in a modern household. From the paint on the wall to the newly bought sofa, you don’t know which one can be perilous.
While selecting paint for the indoor wall, make sure the paint has the lowest count of VOCs. A paint low in VOCs won’t give off that extreme paint-like smell. So, selecting the right paints is extremely crucial as harmful ones can emit VOCs into the air even for a long time.
Other sources of VOCs can be newly bought furniture, as they often contain paint and varnish. Avoid such products as much as possible.
To prevent VOC emissions from furniture, a lot of people buy secondhand products. For people with serious respiratory conditions or sensitivities, it’s a legit option to go for.
- Clean Your Rugs and Carpets
Rugs and carpets can hold unimaginable amounts of dust and allergens. If exposed to moisture, they can also turn out to be the safe haven for molds and bacteria very quickly.
Dust or wash your rugs and carpet on a regular basis. Remember, the longer you’ll leave them unchecked, the harder they’ll get to maintain them later.
- Welcome to the Jungle
Nothing can freshen up the atmosphere like plants. That’s why it’s generally a good idea to keep loads of trees and plants by your side.
Filling up your front yard with a number of trees will provide you with a fresh and oxygen-filled atmosphere inside and around the house. Indoor plants are also a brilliant idea if they cause no irritation to you.
Some people are sensitive to indoor plants. If you’re not one of them, fill your home with beautiful indoor plants to have an impact; and you’ll need a lot of them.
- Maintain Your Appliances
We use various types of appliances, like purifiers, AC units, HVAC units, etc., for ameliorating indoor air quality. But if we fail to perpetuate proper maintenance for these appliances, they’ll do us more harm than good.
Make sure you regularly clean and change all sorts of air filters in these units. Besides, dust, molds, and mildew often gather up in vents and ducts of HVAC units. Imagine how far the air quality will drop because of these.
Clean all the air ducts and vents regularly. Overall if you want your appliance to work properly, proper maintenance is indispensable.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How to test air quality in your home?
Just install an indoor air quality monitor. This is an affordable appliance that will constantly monitor the air quality and give you a warning if it deteriorates below a certain level.
Another appliance that is essential for households is a carbon monoxide monitor. Carbon monoxide is a silent but deadly pollutant, and if there is any source of it in your house, you need to take care of it as soon as possible.
2. What are the sources of carbon monoxide in the home?
The most prominent sources of CO are water heaters, furnaces, fireplaces, gas stoves, and gas ovens. This toxic gas is produced whenever a carbon-based fuel is burned.
Conclusion
If you don’t wish to wake up every day with a runny nose, fatigue, headache, and countless other symptoms, it’s essential you know how to improve indoor air quality today.
Also, a refreshing and pollutant-free indoor atmosphere will greatly improve your everyday mood and productivity. So, stop wasting time and take the measures necessary to improve the air quality of your personal space.
