4 Surprising Ways To Improve Indoor Air Quality In Your Home
Indoor air quality plays such a crucial role in our health - after all, it’s where we spend most of our time. So ensuring good air quality in the indoor spaces that we live is an easy way to improve our health (and quality of life.)
When it comes to pollution, most people relate it to outside air, such as traffic, industrial smoke, etc. The truth, however, is that, as multiple studies show, the air inside our home is often 10 times worse than outdoor levels.
Some of the four major indoor air pollutants are:
Excess moisture
Volatile organic compounds
Radon
Carbon monoxide
These air pollutants generally occur due to poor ventilation, smoking, burning wood, etc. And since they may cause respiratory issues and allergies, figuring out how to get rid of them in our homes is an easy way to improve our everyday quality of life - and the health of our entire family.
Make Changes in the Kitchen
Surprise, most of the air pollutants come from the kitchen. This is where we cook food and release harmful contaminants, such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. Even electric burners produce these same contaminants in lower levels and particles which are easily absorbed into our bloodstream.
When cooking, make it a habit to open all possible windows and switch on the exhaust fan to filter out polluted air.
Invest in a Windmill Air Conditioner
You might be wondering how an AC can help improve air quality? Not all ACs are created equal. And in fact, most of them consume a lot of energy and can actually pollute the indoor air.
Windmill AC , also known as the smart window air conditioner dehumidifies the air by circulating air around your home. Not only does it filter out the polluted air, but uses less power and reduces your electricity bill. During winters, you can use this AC on fan mode without needlessly running the compressor.
Buy Second-Hand Furniture Over New
Yes, new furniture looks super pretty and enhance the overall appearance of your space. But unfortunately, a lot of new furniture also releases chemicals into the living room. Volatile organic compounds, known as VOCs, are the gases given off by newer furniture and paints. They react with sunlight and chemicals to form particulates that affect indoor air quality.
While VOCs can continue to off-gas for the entire lifespan of the product, most of this occurs in the first few years. So second-hand furniture can have a pretty big advantage over something new when it comes to improving air quality and preventing health issues. The absence of the released chemicals within the first few years makes your home environment quite a bit safer to breathe.
Adjust Your Dusting
No matter how well we clean your home, it always seems to still be a little dusty, right? Because of this super annoying phenomenon, consider wiping out the dust using cloth rather than beating it away. Also, investing in a solid, high-end vacuum cleaner can be your best bet. While it may seem pocket-digging right now know that it is a powerful force against dust, pollen, and pet hair in the long run.
