Did you know that the quality of the air you breathe inside your home can be just as harmful as the polluted air outside? According to a study published in Sustainable Environment Research, humans spend 80-90% of their time indoors, which means poor indoor air quality can significantly impact our health and productivity.
However, taking care of your home's air quality doesn't have to be a challenge. Keeping your home clean, regularly checking your vents and filters, and using plants as natural air purifiers are a few ways to ensure your air quality is in tip-top condition. For those who want to go the extra mile, here are five more tips to improve your indoor air quality.
Use low-emitting materials
If you're looking to build or renovate your home, the materials you use can significantly affect the air quality in the area. Things like paints, sealants, manufactured wood products, and some furnishings can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. These chemicals can easily evaporate at room temperature and cause various health issues like headaches, nausea, respiratory problems, and damage to specific organs.
Low-emitting materials can help prevent these problems, including bamboo, wool carpeting, latex paint, concrete, and recycled tile. When possible, try to use low-emitting materials and choose these as replacements for fixtures in your house. Reducing VOCs in your home can improve your air quality immensely and protect you from harm.
Monitor your air
It's impossible to spot anomalies in your indoor air with the naked eye, which is why the right technology can help you keep track of anything out of the ordinary. Air quality monitoring lets you detect pollutants or assess carbon dioxide and harmful gas levels indoors. "A Primer on Smart Home Technology" highlights how new technologies, sensors, and software allow your household to react intuitively to the environment. This can help you notice pollutants in your home and nip them in the bud before they cause any problems.
By sending real-time data to a management dashboard or device, you can quickly identify issues like finding if a gas leak has occurred and whether certain gases have reached their threshold values. These smart technologies can help spare you from any hassle and health problems in the future.
Clean rugs and carpets
Rugs and carpets aren't just decorative elements for your house; they can also serve as air filters. They trap dust, dander, and particles in the fabric to prevent them from spreading elsewhere. If they aren't cleaned regularly, these items end up releasing contaminants back into the air.
You can vacuum and clean your rugs and carpets yourself, but you can also hire a professional carpet cleaner to do more heavy-duty work. And, of course, don't have carpet flooring in kitchens and bathrooms to avoid mold.
Invest in gadgets
Even with your best efforts, you may need additional help to improve the air quality in your home. Devices like humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and air cleaners can help you clean your air. According to a study by Yonsei University, air purifiers have been found to reduce medication use in people with respiratory issues related to allergies. Having one in your home can keep symptoms of allergies and asthma at bay.
Dehumidifiers and humidifiers also help control the amount of moisture and dryness in the air, which can help prevent mold and mildew from spreading. On top of all the gadgets listed above, it is crucial to use a high-efficiency air filter in your home as well. Utilizing these tools can help provide the best air quality so you can live in a comfortable home environment.
Reduce dampness
Dampness in your home may seem harmless, but leaving it for too long can cause many issues, such as mold growth. The Environmental Protection Agency notes that if mold spores touch a damp spot indoors, they can grow and cause health issues when inhaled or touched. They produce allergens and irritants that can affect the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs or cause fever-like symptoms such as sneezing, a runny nose, and skin rashes.
To lessen and prevent dampness in your home, keep areas like the kitchen or bathroom well-ventilated during or after use, fix leaky pipes or roofs, and address spots where water collects.