Studies show that people spend 65% to 90% of their time indoors and that air inside the home can be two to five times more polluted than outside. If the air inside your home is polluted, it might be harmful to your health.
Improve Air Quality in Home
Luckily, there are ways to improve indoor air quality in your home by adding ventilation and controlling dust.
Read on to learn five ways to improve air quality in a home.
1. Open the Windows
Most heating and cooling systems vent air to the outside, but they don’t bring fresh air inside. Opening windows, even temporarily, will cycle the air and reduce fumes from activities such as cooking and painting.
Opening windows allows dust to enter your home, especially on windy days or during pollen season, so avoid this method if you have allergies. Don’t leave your windows open if you live in a polluted area or near a road with high traffic.
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2. Dust Your Home With Microfiber Cloths
Dust that hangs in the air and settles on surfaces affects your air quality and can cause allergic reactions, so it’s important to keep dust under control. A microfiber cloth attracts and holds dust with an electrostatic charge, so if you dust an area with a microfiber cloth, the area will stay clean. You can also mop with a microfiber product to remove dust from your floor. Microfiber products are reusable. Just run them through the washing machine and let them air dry.
3. Use HEPA Filters in Your Vacuum
A vacuum can help you clean dust and allergens out of your carpet. Use a vacuum with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter to keep dust and allergens trapped inside the vacuum bag. (If you have allergies you may want to avoid vacuums with canisters because these create dust clouds when you empty them.)
4. Replace Your Air Filter
Installing a good air filter in your HVAC system might be the best way to improve air quality in the home. Most filters can catch particles smaller than 10 microns, such as pollen, mold, mold spores, skin flakes, and pet dander particles.
The system’s effectiveness depends on what type of filter you use, which you can check by looking at the MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values) rating. A MERV 3 filter catches less than 20% of these particles, while a MERV 16 filter catches about 90% of these particles.
You should replace your air filter often because when the filter gets too dirty, it will keep air from entering your HVAC system and cause the system to work harder.
5. Control Humidity
Indoor dust is partly created by dust mites, which need moisture to survive. Use a dehumidifier to reduce ambient humidity, which will help control dust mites. This will also help reduce the growth of mold spores and mildew.
Improve Air Quality in the Home
You can improve the air quality in a home with a few simple tweaks. Opening the windows, wiping up dust, and changing air filters will allow you to vent fumes and remove particles from the air. Your air quality will improve, and your health might too. If you enjoyed reading this, check out our blog for more articles on home improvement.