Indoor air quality is a hot topic for homeowners, especially those who are environmentally conscious. The problem with poor indoor air quality is that it can have long term effects on your health. So everyone should take the issue seriously.

9 Ways You Can Help Improve Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality

Luckily, there are ways to improve your home indoor air quality without spending too much money or time doing it. Here’s what you can do.

1. Clean your home regularly

It’s tempting to clean your home when you have guests coming over, but the reality is that it’s important to do so regularly. Clean your home regularly with these tips:

Wipeout dust
Clear off tables
Wipe down surfaces
Dust and vacuum floors
Dust furniture pieces daily
Sweep the floor every day, including corners of rooms where dirt tends to accumulate
Use an appropriate cleaner on surfaces like granite countertops or laminate wood floors.
Thoroughly wipe down fixtures like sinks, toilets, showers, faucets, counters and appliances

Don’t wait for relatives or friends to come to visit before you start scrubbing and cleaning. It’ll save time in the long run if you’re already prepared and help improve your home’s indoor air quality.

2. Keep pets out of bedrooms during allergy season

During the winter months, many Australians experience high levels of indoor air pollution due to allergens such as dust mites and pet dander. If you or a loved one suffers from allergies, you need to improve your indoor air quality by keeping pets out of bedrooms during allergy season.

This will not only reduce indoor air pollutants but also boost energy efficiency, as it will reduce heat loss caused by pets in rooms that aren’t occupied frequently.

3. Use exhaust fans and open windows for ventilation

When cooking or running appliances such as dishwashers and clothes dryers, it’ll be best to open your windows or use your exhaust fan to help in air ventilation. This may be simple, but the heat from cooking or running appliances will not be trapped inside your home, and it will improve your home’s indoor air quality.

4. Open windows for fresh air in the morning and evening

It’s important to have fresh air in the home, but you may not be doing it right. Opening your windows for fresh air in the morning and evening will help improve your indoor quality. Your heating system will also work more efficiently if your house is well ventilated.

The benefits of fresh air in the morning and evening are endless. It keeps you focused, energised, healthy and happy. It also prevents mould growth and other problems caused by dryness. It will also let in lots of light, which can make your house feel more inviting.

Just make sure to keep them closed at night, during bedtime, because this is when pollution levels are higher due to human activity like driving cars or turning on lights.

5. Use air filters in the bedroom to remove allergens and other irritants

Another way to help improve your home’s indoor air quality is with an air filter in your bedroom. It can remove allergens like dust mites and pollen so they can’t bother you while you sleep, which means less sneezing, wheezing, coughing, etc

Air filters can trap them before they enter into your lungs or nasal passages during breathing. This prevents the release of chemicals called cytokines, which make allergy symptoms worse such as runny nose, congestion and sneezing.

6. Avoid using toxic chemicals such as pesticides indoors

Toxic chemicals such as pesticide indoors is a big No. Not only do they pose a safety hazard for those with asthma and allergies, but also can lead to long-term health problems such as cancer. Rather, choose natural alternatives which will not harm your family or pets. This can also help you improve the air quality in your home.

7. Set your thermostat set to a comfortable temperature

Many people believe that colder is always better, but this isn’t the case when it comes to maintaining clean and healthy air. By keeping your house at a normal or slightly warmer temperature you can avoid dust mites, mould spores, pollen, bacteria and other contaminants from growing inside your home. The result is fresher-smelling air that’s healthier for everyone living there.

8. Clean your air conditioner’s filters

Your air conditioner filters need to be cleaned regularly to help to improve the indoor air quality of your home. Whether you’ve purchased a new unit or have had yours for years, it’s important to give them a regular cleaning to keep your system running at its best; And improve your home’s indoor air quality.

Call a licensed AC technician today to help improve the air quality in your home by cleaning your AC’s filters.

9. Add plants to your living space

A lot of people think that plants are just decorative, but they can improve your indoor air quality and make the home feel more alive. There are a few different types of plants you can use to help purify the air in your living space.

The Peace Lily is great because it removes benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene from the air by naturally filtering these chemicals out through their leaves.
Spider Plants are also good at removing formaldehyde as well as carbon monoxide from the atmosphere around them by using their long leafy branches to absorb these toxic gases into their leaves where they will be broken down into harmless water and oxygen molecules.
Lastly, bamboo palms not only add some greenery but also absorb volatile organic compounds, which contribute to poor indoor air quality and can cause asthma symptoms in children. Bamboo palms also release water vapour into the atmosphere, which helps humidify dry indoor spaces during the winter season. Plus, they look beautiful.

We know it’s not always possible to put plants outside, especially in winter, but there are plenty of options for indoor plants that will thrive no matter what your home environment is like. So, if you want natural ventilation and better indoor air quality, add plants to your home.

Last thoughts

The last thing you want to do is let your home’s indoor air quality go unchecked. This has the potential for causing serious health problems like asthma, allergies and even cancer. We hope you’ve found these tips helpful and use them to improve the air quality in your home.

Looking for a professional to help you in improving the indoor air quality of your home in Clontarf, Balmoral, Bribie Island, Bulimba, Green Slopes, Hawthorne, Morningside, Noosa, North Brisbane, North Lakes, Redcliffe, South Brisbane, and North Lakes?