5 Simple Ways to Improve the Air Quality in Your Home

The air quality in your residence has a direct impact on your health. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranks indoor air pollution among the top five environmental health risks. Poor indoor air quality can cause various health problems, including respiratory infections, headaches, and fatigue. If you’re looking for ways to improve the air quality in your home, here are five simple things you can do:

1. Change Your HVAC Filter Regularly

A good HVAC filter is one of the most important elements you need to have in your home or office. It plays a crucial role in helping maintain healthy indoor air quality by trapping large airborne particles such as dust, dirt, pet hair, and other allergens. However, the HVAC filter must be changed regularly — ideally, every 1–3 months — to function at its best. This ensures that it is fresh and can capture maximum amounts of these particles.

When selecting your filter, make sure you go with a quality product that is rated for smaller particle capture so you can rest assured it’s providing you with clean air. Ultimately, changing out your filter routinely saves time and money by increasing efficiency while keeping everyone in the space healthy and protected from potential contamination.

2. Vacuum and Dust Your Home Often

Vacuuming and dusting regularly helps reduce the number of tiny particles in the air that can affect everyone’s health, especially people with allergies and asthma. It is important to focus on cleaning hard surfaces such as floors, carpets, curtains, and furniture since they tend to accumulate more dirt and allergens than other areas in your home. While vacuuming regularly will help keep dust at bay, you should also use microfiber cloths or feather dusters to eliminate fine particulates that cling to various surfaces.

3. Use Natural Cleaning Products

Natural cleaners are formulated with nontoxic, biodegradable ingredients and are free from harsh chemicals. By harnessing the power of natural ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and essential oils, these products can provide cleaning capability that is just as effective without harming the environment or indoor air quality.

Without the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) commonly found in commercial cleaning solutions, these natural cleaners are less likely to release toxic particles into your home when they’re in use. Not only will this enhance cleaner living conditions within your environment, but it will limit exposure to potentially dangerous chemicals that could have serious implications on human health over time.

4. Invest in an Air Purifier

Investing in an air purifier is a great way to reduce allergens, mold, and dust from the air within the home or office. Air purifiers offer top-of-the-line filtration systems that can trap smaller particles such as pollen, pet dander, and dust mites. For those with particularly bad allergies, it is important to choose a HEPA filter rated for pollutants present in the environment.

In addition, advanced air purifiers offer additional features such as ultraviolet lights that kill germs and viruses. These features provide peace of mind from knowing that not only are unwanted particles filtered out of the air, but additional measures have been taken to reduce potential risks associated with airborne particulates.

5. Invest in Plants That Help Filter Indoor Air Naturally

Plants are a natural way to improve indoor air quality. They act as filters, absorbing pollutants such as VOCs, formaldehyde, carbon dioxide, and mold spores. Some species of plants are more efficient at filtering out these pollutants than others.

It’s important to select an appropriate variety that can thrive indoors without requiring too much maintenance or fuss. Low-light houseplants such as dracaena, philodendrons, snake plants, and Chinese evergreens should do well with normal household humidity levels. With a little effort, you can enjoy cleaner air while adding beauty to your environment.

Get in Touch With Professionals Today!

At Puyallup Heating & Air Conditioning, we believe that indoor air quality is essential to the health and comfort of your family or business associates. That’s why we offer a wide range of cooling and heating services designed to help you get the most out of your home or office. Not only do we strive to keep your climate control systems running smoothly with regular maintenance, but our specialized duct design and installation team can equip any building with an efficient ventilation system. With our reliable services throughout the Greater Puyallup area, you can be sure that your cooling and heating needs are in good hands. Call us at Puyallup Heating & Air Conditioning today to learn more about all we provide.