Our indoor air quality impacts our health more than most people realize. Poor air quality could spread dust, allergens, and even airborne toxins through our homes.
Of course, our comfort is also impacted by our home’s air. Does your home feel fresh and clean, or does it get stuffy and retain smells?
If your home’s air isn’t as fresh as you’d like, here are five indoor air quality solutions worth exploring.
1. Clean Your Filter and Ducts
Simply put, dust, dirt and allergens all collect in your home’s air ducts, and the filter on your air conditioner and furnace. Regularly cleaning them removes these contaminants from your air, and allows your filters to capture more.
2. Get a Whole-House Fan
Some HVAC systems, especially older ones, may have been installed with a fan that just isn’t up to modern standards. As a result, it may struggle to move air through your home, giving your air a stuffy feeling, especially near the kitchen and bathrooms. You may also find that smells take a long time to leave your home, whether it’s from a full garbage bag or a visitor’s perfume.
The solution is to get a new, full home fan mounted in your ceiling, below your attic. This fan will move air into your attic, and even improve the efficiency of your air conditioner. Or, you can target the bathroom by installing a smaller fan there.
3. Ditch the Forced Air System
Most HVAC systems move air through your home, and when they do, they spread dust, dirt, and pet hair around. Instead of regularly cleaning your ducts and filters, you can simply opt for a system that doesn’t use ducts—like the Mitsubishi Ductless Air Conditioner.
These systems are installed directly into your wall and deliver the cool air right there, instead of running it through a duct system. Not only does this give you cleaner air, but it’s more energy-efficient too.
4. Dehumidify Your Indoor Air
In California, the air can get a little humid, especially as you get closer to the coast. This moisture can collect on your walls, in your ducts, and elsewhere in your home, promoting mold growth. Even if your home is free of mold, excessive humidity can make breathing issues like asthma, allergies, and COPD less manageable.
The simple solution is to run a dehumidifier to collect excess moisture. If you happen to live in an area that’s too dry, especially during the winter, a humidifier will improve your air quality instead.
5. Choose an Indoor Plant
Research has found that some houseplants are capable of reducing the amount of toxins in the air. These toxins might be released by your furniture, paper products, cleaning products, or off-gassing nearby. Proper airflow should help reduce these toxins, but some plants do an even better job of absorbing the chemicals right out of the air. Among the best plants for the job are English Ivy and Bamboo Palms. Discover our other recommendations for plants that can clean your indoor air. Or, reach out to us at Irish Heating and Air to talk about other indoor air quality solutions.
