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Maintaining indoor air quality is essential for a healthy lifestyle. Low air quality increases the likelihood of contracting airborne allergies and infections. Breathing issues like asthma can also worsen due to inadequate indoor air quality.
Especially in the modern age, where air pollution is continuously rising, pollutants are bound to make their way into your home. In fact, indoor pollution can often be worse than outdoors in many situations, as houses aren't as ventilated as outdoor environments. You may not even realize the effect of low air quality while it continues to damage your lungs and health. Hence, it is unwise to overlook this matter. Here are five tips to help you make the air inside your home more breathable.
Invest in high-quality air filters
HVAC systems that include air conditioners and similar devices installed in your house; all contain air filters inside them. As the name suggests, their purpose is to filter the air that passes through the HVAC system. Without a high-quality air filter, all pollutants and dust will find their way inside your house as you won't be able to filter the air properly. So, it's essential to have high-quality air filters in your HVAC systems.
These filters come with a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV), which shows how effective they are at filtering the air. A MERV rating of six is the minimum for a home. However, if you want to ensure high-quality air inside your house, then a rating of 11 or 13 is better. Moreover, the HEPA type of air filter effectively controls the air quality inside your home, as they have a high MERV rating. So, make sure to purchase the best HVAC air filters the next time you have to change or upgrade yours.
Change air filters frequently
Getting high-quality air filters isn't enough for properly maintaining your indoor air quality. Over time, all air filters will start to collect dust and pollutants as air passes through them. If you keep using dirty filters, you will inevitably compromise your HVAC system's filtering and energy efficiency. So, it's essential to clean your air filters and replace them with new ones after a specific time. As a result, you will have better airflow and ventilation throughout your house, which will keep the air clean.
However, HVAC air filters aren't the only ones that require cleaning and changing. Vacuum cleaner bags, kitchen vents, and air ducts should also be cleaned and maintained regularly.
Introduce greenery indoors
Plants serve as natural air filters. They purify the air by removing toxins and increasing oxygen levels. Not only do they freshen the indoor air, but they also look good. Plants such as Bamboo Palm and English Ivy are popular choices due to their air exceptional air purifying capabilities. However, it would be best if you didn't place too many plants in your home, as they may trigger allergies for some people.
Keep your home clean
Dust and pollutants aren't only collected in air filters; there are many other sources. For example, your shoes may be a carrier of many pollutants when entering your house. In comparison, windows can be a major source of contaminants if left open for a long duration. Over time, dirt will start to accumulate across your house, degrading the air quality as it rises upward.
However, you can prevent this nuisance from getting out of control by simply cleaning your house frequently. Contact a carpet manufacturing company to buy quality carpet because carpets and rugs are major dust catchers, so you make sure to clean them. Furthermore, you should also clean beds, drapes, and similar objects regularly. Decluttering your house is also a good idea as clutter can often lead to dust accumulating rapidly.
Control humidity
While humidity may be beneficial to kill off viruses, it's essential to maintain a balance. For example, if you have dry air inside your house, you will be exposed to many influenza virus strains resulting in frequent colds and flu. On the other hand, if the humidity is too high, mold and mildew can start to grow in places around your house, leading to allergic reactions and breathing difficulties.
So, it's essential to maintain an optimum humidity level, which is in the range of 40% to 60%. You can regulate this range by using humidifiers or dehumidifiers, depending on the climate you live in.
Conclusion
If you want to follow a healthy lifestyle, keeping the air quality at an optimum condition is necessary. It requires regular maintenance and effort to have a clean indoor environment. However, being able to breathe fresh air is worth the effort. Last but not least, always use a light, non-allergic air freshener to keep the atmosphere pleasant.