10 Tips to Improve Air Quality in Your Home

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Tips to Improve Air Quality

We spend a lot of time, energy, and money keeping our houses clean. We buy the latest vacuum cleaners, take the trash out every other day, and never allow a smoking cigarette to walk through the door. We spend all this time and effort because we believe that our homes are our temples. Nobody wants to trash strewn all over their floor or rotten food in their kitchens. People take care to keep their homes clean because that is where they raise their families and spend their time. It makes sense.

So why do so many people forget to spend the same efforts on the air quality in their home? The air in our home is what we breathe every moment we are inside of it. If our air is polluted, we are bringing polluted air into our lungs and our bodies. Yet maintaining good air quality can be surprisingly simple. Here are ten tips to improve air quality in your home.

1. Ban all smoking. Smoking is bad for your health and doing it indoors is bad for the air quality. The carcinogens in cigarettes linger long after the smell is gone. Don't smoke in the house and don't let your guests smoke in the house either.

2. Get rid of air fresheners. Even though they might smell good, air fresheners are full of particulates and can seriously damage your air quality. Try some all natural candles for a better result.

3. Keep your home dry and without moisture. A leaky pipe can leave behind more than just a puddle. Mold and mildew follow moisture and they can be terrible for your air quality. If you have water stains, dry them out.

4. Change your furnace and air conditioner filters regularly. Make sure your appliances are reaching their full potential use by cleaning the air filters at least every three months. This will also prevent them from blowing dust and other pollutants around the house.

5. Get a professional air quality test. Radon, asbestos, and lead are just a few of the usual suspects lurking in homes and destroying air quality. These can be poisonous and dangerous, even lethal. Get a professional to determine what the level of contamination in your home is.

6. Vacuum carpets regularly. Carpets feel great on our feet, but also collect dust and dander. Most of us want to hold onto our carpets, and that is okay. Just make sure to vacuum yours regularly.

7. Avoid toxic household cleaners. Most of the household cleaners on the market use chemicals that are left behind on every surface where they have been used. Look beyond environmentally-friendly marketing campaigns and find cleansers with ingredients you feel comfortable bringing into your house.

8. Stay away from mothballs. Mothballs are used because they work to keep away moths - because they are toxic. That toxicity is dangerous to humans too, especially to children who find them and stick them in their mouths. Get rid of your mothballs or make sure they are used where children can't access them.

9. Keep a clean home. Keeping garbage and other detritus cleared from your home also keeps it out of your air. General clean habits make for better air quality.

10. Get plenty of plants. Plants are not only great decor; they are also all-natural miniature clean air manufacturers. Plants convert dangerous carbon dioxide into fresh, breathable oxygen. There are many low maintenance, festive plants that you can use to keep your air clean.

About the Author: Jim Klossner has been writing about environmentally safe HVAC solutions for several years. When he’s not writing, you can find Jim assisting plumbers in Willmette, Illinois.

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