Keeping the air that you breathe inside your home as clean as possible is crucial for you and your family’s health. There are many ways you can do this, from picking up around the house more often to using certain types of candles and lamps. Here are 5 easy ideas that you can get started with right now and how our veteran HVAC technicians can help make your indoor air quality even better.
1. Vacuum Often
Vacuuming regularly is essential for removing physical debris, dust particles, pet hair and dander, pollen, and other pollutants. Whereas sweeping your floors and dusting your shelves only pushes particles around from one place to another, vacuuming removes significantly more debris and then traps it inside a bag or filter that can be washed or removed.
Some tips for effective vacuuming include using a vacuum with a HEPA filter to trap the smallest particles and making sure to also frequently vacuum rugs, drapes, and upholstery. Keeping clutter to a minimum not only helps prevent dust buildup in the first place but also makes things easier to clean.
2. Don’t Bring VOCs Into Your Home
Many people don’t consider their furniture to be a source of pollution, but depending on the type of materials used to make it, they could be off-gassing VOCs, or volatile organic compounds. VOCs are released into the air from certain types of materials like pressed wood, particle board, and some fabrics, and can cause health problems like headaches, dizziness, allergies, eye irritation, and nausea.
Try to look for furniture that’s made with low-emitting materials like solid wood, leather, or metal. Composite furniture, like those using particle board that has been glued together, is going to have more VOCs and hazardous chemicals than furniture made from natural or whole materials. If you have existing furniture that’s made with high-emitting materials, you can reduce the amount of VOCs released into the air by regularly cleaning it and keeping it well-ventilated.
3. Open Your Windows
Opening your windows is a great way to exchange polluted air in your home for fresh air. This practice is regularly done in other countries like Spain, Greece, and Italy in the morning or evenings when the air is cooler, and many homes there have architecture specifically designed for this purpose.
To do this safely, make sure there are no air quality problems in your immediate area and that your windows are equipped with screens to keep insects and small animals out. You only need to open your windows for about 20 minutes to completely exchange the air in your home, but you can always leave them open longer if you wish. Try to open windows that are across from each other or set up fans to create a cross breeze that quickly draws polluted air out and fresh air in.
4. Use Beeswax Candles, Salt Lamps, Charcoal, & Houseplants
Ordinarily, candles produce VOCs and soot when burned, especially those that are made from paraffin wax and highly fragranced. However, beeswax candles actually help your indoor environment by creating negative ions that bond with positive ion pollutants in your air and neutralizing them on the spot. Similarly, natural salt lamps also emit negative ions that work to reduce the number of harmful positive ions in the nearby space.
You can also use activated charcoal, which binds to pollutants and odors and absorbs them. Charcoal doesn’t need electricity or fire to work though, so it’s ideal for homes with old electrical systems or where there are fire hazards, such as near drapes and furniture.
When it comes to house plants, they do a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to purifying the air. They exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen just as trees do and help create fresh, healthy air inside your home at the same time you’re moving pollutants out.
Some of the most beneficial – and easy to take care of – plants for oxygenating and purifying the air are spider plants, snake plants, and bamboo palms. The more live greenery in your home, the more fresh air you’re getting, even when you’re not opening your windows.
5. Purchase An Air Purifier
Depending on your budget, the size of your home, and your health needs, you may want to invest in a high-quality air purifier to further remove toxins and harmful particles from inside your home. Make sure to select a unit that is the appropriate size for the space you want to purify – units that are too small won’t do the job effectively enough.
You’ll also want to pay attention to any special features that the unit offers, like HEPA filters, ultraviolet sanitization, carbon filtration, and ozone purification. These often add to the expense but are important for those who need the purest indoor air possible.
At Jones Services, we value your health and indoor air quality. Let us help you get cleaner, healthier air and better home comfort with ductless heating and cooling today. Contact us now by dialing (845) 299-2074.
Goshen, NY 10924
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