If you’re the kind of homeowner who values clean air, listen carefully: keeping your indoor air quality clean means you must know what’s making it worse. Whether you’re contributing to the problem by not airing out the house, or you’re simply tired of the atmosphere and feeling drained, the air quality in your home can have a serious impact on your family’s health. Here’s how to make the most of your lease by keeping your home’s air clean throughout the year.
Use an Air Purifier
An air purifier works a bit differently than an air filter. While an air filter filters air particles, whereas, an air purifier will clean the particles and the air, and do it at the same time. The benefit of this air cleaning solution? With a whole house air purifier, Homeowners can enjoy a crisper and cleaner breathing experience. Using an air purifier will prevent you from having to open the windows too frequently. That’s fortunate, as heat loss through windows accounts for about 30% of residential and cooling energy use.
Clean with the Safest Products
Are you planning on repainting a room or doing a thorough cleaning of your home? If so, there’s a good chance you’ll be using products with chemicals that will spread around the rooms. Fortunately, many household paints are sold with Non-Volatile Organic Compounds. Volatile organic compounds are a group of compounds that are harmful to human health when breathed in through the lungs. Looking for products that use Non-VOC paint will prevent you from making the mistake of using air fresheners to mask the scent. As a homeowner, it’s not in your best interest to use too many chemicals, anyway. However, as long as you check the ingredients, you can reduce your use of harmful chemicals. In particular, you might want to look out for Perchloroethylene (PERC), ammonia, and formaldehyde, to name a few.
Clean Your Air Conditioner and Filter Regularly
If you think of the way an air conditioner works, you’ll know why it’s important to clean the filters regularly. For starters, a dirty filter and unit will mean dust and dirt will circulate back into the room. Remember, the whole purpose of your conditioning unit is to pump out heat. Thanks to the coolant, the condensers, and the compressor unit working together, hot air is changed into cold air, which recirculates into the room. With a clogged filter, overheating is an issue, so no amount of cold air will have a profound impact on the temperature. Unfortunately, the rising temperatures will make indoor air thicker, muggier, and much harder to breathe.
In addition to the overheating and clogged air filter, you’ll want to check the refrigerant charge and electric components, as well as the airflow for your unit. It’s important that you conduct a regular check of your HVAC system. A room can take a while to cool down during a heatwave, emphasizing the need for a functioning HVAC system you can count on.
Open Your Windows Strategically
You can open your windows in the milder months to get fresh air flowing through your home. Additionally, the natural air from outside can freshen up stale odors throughout your home. While you still have to think about outdoor pollution, especially in the summer, your indoor humidity should be between 30% to 50%. Therefore, you should lower both the humidity and temperature by opening up your windows at varying times throughout the day. In the morning, the air is crisp, clean, and refreshing to breathe. In the evening, the air is more breezy and relaxing, and thus, more conducive to a good night’s rest. The goal is switching up the timing, as keeping windows open all day might open your home to unbearable noise pollution.
Hopefully, you knew that keeping your home’s air clean was more than eliminating water damage, mold, mildew, and odors. The tough work takes a little natural effort, like opening your windows at various times of the day. But sometimes, the common habit of using household cleaning products with toxic chemicals can put your indoor air quality at risk. Using an air purifier and cleaning your home are excellent ways to adhere to the rules of your lease. Now you know how to keep your indoor air quality at its best so you can breathe easily year-round.
