Improve Your Home’s Air Quality with These Fresh Air Ideas!

Between dust, smoke, formaldehyde, mold, and bacteria, the air inside our homes isn’t always the safest to breathe. If you’re looking for attractive ways to improve the indoor air quality (IAQ) in your home, consider one of the following options!

1. Houseplants

Photo: Apartment Therapy

Research by NASA has shown that simple houseplants can purify indoor air by absorbing pollutants as they take in carbon dioxide and release fresh oxygen back into the air. Thankfully, you don’t have to have a stellar green thumb to keep some of these houseplants alive and thriving. Spider plants are very easy to grow and remove xylene and formaldehyde from the air. A snake plant is ideal for those who forget to water because it prefers drier conditions. It can clean trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, benzene, and xylene from your air.

[otw_shortcode_quote border_style=”bordered” background_color_class=”otw-green-background” color=”#ffffff”]I love decorating with houseplants and if they can help you live a healthier life indoors – why not? The best plants to decorate with are those that don’t need too much watering and attention. Consider a banana tree if you really want to show off your inner designer. These are exploding all over the decorating scene, designer’s love decorating with banana plants![/otw_shortcode_quote]

2. Cleaning Regularly

Photo: TheHouseofSilverLining.com

Not only will cleaning regularly help your home look nice, it can also remove many of the allergens and chemicals that degrade your home’s IAQ. To clean your carpets, use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter to make sure dust doesn’t get blown back out. Strive to vacuum at least two times a week.

BDB Tip: Mopping will pick up the dust a vacuum leaves behind on hard floors, and plain water without cleaners or soaps will work just fine. Leaving a doormat at the front door will catch any dirt or chemicals people bring in on their shoes, and you can
easily throw it in the wash to get it clean.

3. Dehumidifier

Photo: Tigmi Trading Shop

Mold and dust mites thrive in moisture, so keeping the humidity in your home between 30 and 50 percent will help keep them under control. You can remove humidity in your home by cracking a window after showering, running the dishwasher, or cooking. It’s essential to fix any leaky plumbing. You can also run a dehumidifier to reduce moisture in the air. Today, dehumidifiers come in a variety of designs to match nearly every style.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”#ff0062″ class=”” size=””]It’s nice to have a hot steamy shower, but don’t forget to fully air your bathroom to avoid any mold build-up around your tub, on tiles, and around your window. The second you see condensation build-up, then you know it’s time to air out.[/perfectpullquote]

4. Air Purifier

Photo: Blog Lovin’

An air purifier works with the ductwork of nearly any HVAC system, and traps and kills viruses, bacteria, and fungi in your home’s air. These machines are amazingly efficient, deactivating or killing up to 99 percent of particles they capture and trapping up to 95 percent of particles that are as small as 0.3 microns. Like dehumidifiers, there are plenty of styles of air purifiers to match just about every home.

5. Natural Scents

 
Photo: The Decorista

While we might enjoy the scent of cleaners and air fresheners, these products actually emit a large number of chemicals into the air. One study found that a plug-in air freshener releases 20 different volatile organic compounds, including seven that United States federal law regulates as hazardous or toxic. Consider switching to naturally scented or fragrance-free laundry and cleaning products to make sure you’re not releasing harmful chemicals into your home’s air. If you still want a clean and fresh scent, lemon and baking soda make excellent natural cleaners.

From green houseplants to modern air purifiers, if you’re looking for attractive ways you can improve the IAQ in your home there are plenty of options available. Have you tried any of these? Let us know in the comments below!