The experience of living through a global pandemic has made a lot of people think about whether they can do more to keep their homes safe. As a homeowner, there are few things more important than maintaining clean and safe air to breathe in your house. Indoor air quality is a major issue, which can have serious effects on your family’s health when ignored. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to keep fresh air circulating in your home and eliminate many common contaminants. If you want to improve air quality in your home, keep reading to learn what you can do to filter and freshen the air indoors.
How can you filter and freshen the air in your home?
There are a number of ways you can filter and freshen the air inside your home. The best and most obvious thing that every homeowner should do is ensure they take care of preventive maintenance of their HVAC system. The unit should be inspected annually and have its filter changed at least once every 90 days. You can also look into additions like an energy recovery ventilator, which exhausts stale air and pushes fresh air into your living space, or a steam humidifier, which can provide indoor moisture to balance your home’s humidity levels.
You should consider investing in air purifiers for high-traffic or frequently used rooms like the kitchen, living room, and bedrooms. It’s best to look for a model with a high-energy particulate air (HEPA) filter. Make sure the air purifier you purchase is powerful enough for the size of the room you intend to place it in. The packaging will usually tell you how many square feet the unit is designed for.
Even simple lifestyle changes can make a noticeable difference. Experts recommend cleaning your house more frequently to minimize the presence of common allergens like pet dander and dust. You should also regularly launder items like long curtains and area rugs. If you live in an area where the outdoor air is clean, open your windows more frequently. It’s always a good idea to let fresh air in.
Why is indoor air quality so important?
Though there is a growing awareness of the dangers of air pollution, many people still don’t realize why keeping their indoor air clean and safe to breathe should be a priority. Poor air quality has been linked to many types of heart and lung problems, including coronary artery disease, emphysema, respiratory infections, stroke, and cancer. In pregnant people, air pollution has been known to contribute to birth defects. It can also exacerbate conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
Minimizing the spread of contaminants is even more important now, given the ongoing public health emergency caused by COVID-19. The CDC has recommended improving ventilation in your home as a part of a comprehensive protection plan. Opening your windows, increasing your use of fans, and purchasing a portable air cleaner are all good ideas. These ideas should also be combined with other measures, like social distancing and mask-wearing, when interacting with anyone who isn’t a member of your household.
As you can see, there are plenty of ways you can mitigate the dangers posed by air pollution. You or a member of your family could develop significant health problems as a result of breathing in polluted air on a regular basis or worsen some health conditions you may already have. It’s essential that you do what you can to make sure you don’t have poor air quality at home, especially given the fact that COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in many parts of the country. Though it can take some effort and investment, there aren’t many things that are more important to invest in right now than creating a safe environment at home.
