It’s common for people to step out of their homes to get some fresh air. This is understandable because, in a confined area, it can feel claustrophobic. Sometimes it can even be dusty or humid, making it hard to breathe inside. Even when you’re exercising, you’ll notice that it’s more refreshing to do your workout routines or meditation at home.
But going out to get fresh air isn’t possible all the time. Besides, it would be better to breathe clean and healthy air even when you’re indoors. Why step outside if you can make the air in your home cleaner for you and your family?
There are so many ways to maintain the healthiness of the air in your home. It’s all about air circulation and making sure that each corner of your home gets refreshed. To do this, you’ll need to have the proper HVAC installed in your home so it can help regulate the temperature and circulate clean air throughout your whole house.
But there are still many other ways to keep the air in your home cool, heated, and clean. And everyone wants to be comfortable in their homes. But having a healthy home doesn’t just happen at a snap of a finger. You’ll need to put in some effort, so make sure that you try out these tips below.
1. Open Your Windows
This one is probably the most common way people refresh the air in their homes. Cracking a window open allows air to circulate. You can notice that it starts to get musty and uncomfortable if you keep your windows closed for too long. It’s advised to open windows at least once a day, even if you have an HVAC system. The indoor air quality or IAQ can affect your physical health, especially if you have allergies. To improve it, you’ll need to open the windows to help improve the air quality, but it’s best to do it in the morning when there aren’t too many pollutants around.
2. Install and Repair Your Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
As mentioned, it’s necessary to have HVAC installed in your home to help with circulation and keeping the temperature pleasant. But having it installed isn’t as easy as you think because you’ll need to ensure that it’s done right. Thankfully, you can find many outstanding companies who can offer you excellent services such as the heating and air conditioning – DM Select Services Ashburn VA can provide.
3. Start Growing Houseplants
Everyone knows that plants help produce oxygen by absorbing carbon dioxide from the air. This is why the outdoors has more fresh air than indoors. Adding some indoor plants is a great way to improve the air quality of your home. They also look like unique pieces that you can add to decorate any room. There are so many options to choose from especially if you’re very specific about the look of the plants. But the best part is, each plant will have its benefits. For instance, citronella geranium and peppermint can help repel mosquitoes, too. In general, plants can help reduce stress levels, fatigue, and anxiety.
4. Clean Regularly
The IAQ in your home isn’t good because dirt, dust, germs, and even viruses can be found in any room. It’s important to clean regularly to ensure that the environment doesn’t allow more bacteria and viruses to thrive. This includes cleaning the HVAC air ducts, too! But make sure that you use cleaning materials that aren’t toxic to inhale. Using bleach is too strong and can cause bleach poisoning when you breathe in too much of it. Alternatives such as baking soda, essential oils, vinegar, and citrus are better and more natural choices. When cleaning, make sure that you keep the windows open!
5. Deal With Mold
Mold can infest any home, and it’s a nightmare to cleanout. If you’re exposed to mold, you can experience wheezing, red eyes, a stuffy nose, or even itchy skin. It’s also possible to get asthma or even worse health concerns, especially if you have respiratory issues or allergies.
You can use baking soda to clean mold, but it still depends on how intense the infestation is. If you find that the mold might be difficult for you to clean out, you’ll need to look for professionals to sort it out.
6. Find A Good Air Purifier
These days, you can find air purifiers in almost any home store. It’s easy to see why they’re so popular, considering all the benefits they can give. They can neutralize bad smells, so it’s a great tool to have at home, especially if you have pets or if you like to cook with strong-smelling ingredients. For health, air purifiers can reduce risks from airborne diseases, allergies, and asthma. If you suffer from sleeping problems, you’ll also be glad to know that it helps improve sleep quality. These are only some of the many benefits that air purifiers can add to your home.
7. Groom Your Pets Well
When you have a pet, you’ll need to make sure that you’re ready for the responsibility of taking care of them properly. It’s not only for them but also for your home. Common pets like cats and dogs can shed their fur, and they can even have mites that float in the air. It can trigger allergies, asthma, and other respiratory issues. To avoid this, make sure you groom your pets well by cleaning them up and making sure that you go to the vet to stumble any issues like mites.
8. Air Out Furniture and Beddings
Furniture and bedding can collect a lot of germs, dust, and it can even grow mold. You can try to clean and vacuum them indoors, but it’s still important to air them out, especially if they’re upholstered. If you didn’t know about this yet, furniture could cause indoor air pollution in a process called “off-gassing.” Carpets and cabinets can have chemicals like formaldehyde, benzene, and ethylene glycol. All of these are hazardous and can irritate. It’s even said that having an unhealthy air quality in your home can lead to infections, asthma, and even lung cancer. When you get new furniture, you’ll need to remove them from its packaging and leave them outside to air out for a week. And when you have them indoors already, it’s still good to open the windows as often as you can.
Conclusion
Staying healthy isn’t just about eating well, exercising, and taking vitamins. It’s also ensuring that you live in a healthy place where you can feel comfortable and aren’t put at risk. One way to keep a home clean is to ensure that the air is clean by installing HVAC, cleaning regularly, and making sure that there are no mold, bacteria, mites, and dust around.
