Tips to Improving the Quality of Your Indoor Air
Having a healthy home is not simply about keeping it clean and devoid of dirt. Since bacteria and viruses are microscopic, they can thrive right in the air that you breathe. Therefore, another crucial concern to have when trying to maintain a healthy environment is ensuring the quality of your indoor air is maintained too. Failure to take measures that will improve your air quality could lead to an array of toxins permeating your personal space such as excessive levels of carbon monoxide, allergens, volatile organic compounds, radon and more. So what are some of the tips that you could use to improve the quality of your indoor air?
Keep the levels of humidity low in your residence
Humidity is something you have to contend in at one point or another, especially when the hotter months roll around. However, brushing it off as simply weather you should tolerate is not the best way to deal with it. High levels of humidity in the home can become hazardous to the health of all the inhabitants in that residence in numerous ways. Firstly, the higher the humidity, the better the conditions for mould and mildew to breed in your home. This, in turn, will increase the number of fungal spores in your indoor air.
Secondly, high humidity also provides a prime environment for dust mites to thrive. These can also cause respiratory problems and exacerbate allergies, sinuses, asthma and more. To control the levels of humidity in your residence, you should consider investing in a dehumidifier. This can be placed in areas most prone to high moisture levels such as the basement. Another way of decreasing humidity in your home would be by ensuring windows are opened during showering as well as cooking. This will facilitate ventilation in your home.
Lastly, always ensure that the drip pans of your air conditioning system are emptied on a regular basis. Left neglected, the moisture in the drip pans can become a breeding ground for microbes, which will then be recirculated into your air through your heating and cooling system.
Invest in house plants that facilitate clean air
Some homeowners assume house plants are simply for aesthetic purposes. The truth is you can get plants that specifically function to clean the air in your home. For example, English Ivy is climbing plant with dense foliage. Typically used as a decorative plant in the home, it is also capable of absorbing formaldehyde from the air. Formaldehyde is one of the more common indoor air toxins as it is used in timber floorboards. It is also present in some dyes used on synthetic carpets.
