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Up until recently, most households never gave a thought to their home’s indoor air quality. However, with the growing emphasis being placed on health and wellness, indoor air quality (or IAQ) is finally getting the attention it deserves. Here are some simple ways you can take control of your own home’s IAQ and improve your health in the process:
1. Welcome Indoor Plants
It was actually NASA that discovered just how powerful house plants can be when it comes to clean air. Seeking a way to keep the air of the space station clean and healthy, they ran an experiment in 1989 and found that indoor house plants do more than convert carbon dioxide into oxygen—they can also cleanse volatile organic compounds (VOCs) out of the air.
VOCs can cause cancer and are present in many harsh household cleaners and other products. Indoor plants may just be your new best friend on your mission to improve your home’s IAQ. They’re purifying and they add a new level of comfort to your home’s interior.
2. Use Natural Cleaners
Image via Flickr by oatsy40
Aside from containing VOCs, many household cleaners introduce a number of chemicals into the air that can irritate your eyes, nose, and throat. They can also worsen any breathing conditions you may have and put you at an increased risk of disease.
With these things in mind, it’s definitely worth pursuing natural household cleaners to keep your home’s IAQ higher. Many organic options are popping up on the shelves, but you can also try making your own gentle cleansers for laundry and general cleaning.
3. Use a HEPA Filter Vacuum
Did you know that your carpeting can house everything from dirt and debris to mold spores? Over time, carpets collect an array of hazardous buildup and vacuuming can sometimes make the problem worse. While frequent vacuuming is a must to ensure you collect these things before they work deep into your carpet’s fibers, the act of vacuuming can stir up the allergens and other materials, agitating allergies and harming your home’s IAQ.
The solution is to use a HEPA filter on your vacuum, which will trap even the smallest particles so that your vacuum does not release them into the air in the process of removing them from the carpet.
4. Maintain Your HVAC System
Your home’s HVAC system plays an integral role in keeping your indoor air quality high. By filtering your home’s air, your HVAC system helps to remove pollutants while ensuring you always have clean, pure, conditioned air to breathe. However, in order for your HVAC system to function at its best, you must maintain it properly. Keep filters clean and call in a professional for routine maintenance.
Making changes to improve your home’s IAQ will enable you to decrease allergens and offer a cleaner, more comfortable home for everyone in your family. By following simple advice like that shared here, you can see major improvements in your home’s indoor air quality and you’ll reap the health and wellness benefits in return.
