On average, we spend about 90% of our time indoors. It is said that the level of indoor pollutants can be between 2-10 times higher than outdoor levels. Poor air quality is directly linked to respiratory conditions such as asthma. Maintaining poor air quality in your home can have detrimental effects on your health. It is therefore important that you consider ways to improve you indoor air quality.
Keep Rooms Ventilated
It is essential that you circulate fresh air into your property. Opening your windows are the best way to let fresh air in. This is particularly important to do, especially during the winter months. Opening your windows for 5-10 minutes a day can make all the difference. Try to do this after you shower or cook to lower humidity levels.
Clean Regularly
Keeping your property clean is essential to maintain good indoor air quality. This will drastically reduce the amount of allergens such as dust and pet hair, which can irritate your sinuses. It is also important that you clean your furniture, curtains and bed sheets on a regular basis to kill dust mites and germs.
Invest in Air Purifying Plants
Another way to maintain your indoor air quality to to place a few air purifying plants around your property. Not only will they brighten up the space but also help remove any impurities in the air. Some great options are ferns, spider plants, peace lilies, snake plants and areca palms. They can remove chemicals like formaldehyde and carbon monoxide from the air.
Buy non-toxic cleaning products
There are a lot of cleaning products that are harmful to breathe in such as bleach, air fresheners and cleaning sprays. It is essential to ensure that your rooms are well ventilated if you are cleaning with chemical-heavy products. Even better, replace your cleaning products with non-toxic alternatives. These products are not only better for your health but will also reduce damage to the environment.
Don’t smoke indoors
This one goes without saying but if you want to improve the air quality in your home, it is essential that you do not smoke inside of the property. Cigarette smoke will cling to the walls, furniture and clothes and will heavily affect the air quality.
Reduce humidity Levels
Humidity in indoor spaces can encourage damp and mould. Not only is this hazardous to your health but can also be damaging to the interior of your property. Make sure to use extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom to get rid of steam. Dry your laundry outside if possible, otherwise use a well ventilated room or airing cupboard.
Use an air purifier
Air purifiers work by filtering harmful pollutants out of the air. This includes dust particles and allergens. They essentially consist of a fan and filter. The fan pulls the air through the device and the filter captures any particles in the air. The cleaned air is then circulated back into the room. They are not considered cheap and can cost around a few hundred pounds.
Use extraction fan when cooking
To reduce the amount of toxins released into your home when cooking, it is important to always use the extractor fan above the stove to ventilate the area and reduce humidity from steam.
Install Air Conditioning
Installing an air conditioning system is a more costly but effective way to improve your indoor air quality. AC units purify the air by catching pollutants in the filtering system. This helps keep allergies at bay. They are also effective at removing humidity from your indoor space. Wall mounted units are the most cost-effective and versatile AC solution. They are a popular choice for homes in the UK.
Maintain your air conditioner
It is essential that you maintain and replace the filters in your air conditioning system. This is to ensure that it runs at maximum capacity and remains effective at removing pollutants from the air.
