Indoor air quality is always an issue, and even more during the winter months. Winter weather prompts us to tightly seal our homes which also seals off our homes from any fresh air and raises the concentrations of both pollutants and allergens.
Immediate effects of poor indoor air quality can show up quickly and include headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and itchy eyes, nose, and throat. Asthma and chemical sensitivities can also be aggravated by exposure to indoor pollution, with possible chronic sensitivity building up after repeated exposures.
We’ve put together five easy steps you can take to help improve the indoor air quality of your home this winter and all year long:
Use Natural Air Fresheners
Don’t use air fresheners or room deodorizers to fill the air with artificial scents that linger to mask odors. They don’t actually neutralize smells and they can wreak havoc on your home’s air quality so opt for natural alternatives to freshen your home
Skip the pesticides
If pests are appearing in your home, consider non-toxic solutions like essential oil-based repellents
Let The Fresh Air In
Open your doors and windows for a couple of minutes each day to let in some fresh air. Yes, you will lose some of the heat you have built up, but the fresh air exchange is more than worth it
Ban Aerosol Sprays
Aerosol spray products can leave pollutants suspended in the air for hours or even days after use. Find some alternatives to that highly polluting aerosol can
Invest in an Air Purifier
Air purifiers are a great way to clean the air and they will help you filter out most airborne allergens. There are many signs that your home is in desperate need of an air purifier. Some of these signs include: if you see dust mites everywhere, your air is stale and stuffy, and if you just can’t stop sneezing. If you need help buying your first air purifier, check out Jen Reviews’ guide to choosing an air purifier according to science.
Increase Your Houseplants
Houseplants offer impressive air-purification powers so stock your home with houseplants to clean the air
Knowing the sources of indoor air pollutants, as well as what they are and how to combat them, is the first step in keeping the air in your home clean. Due to the combined factors of more time spent indoors and decreased ventilation, winter is a time to be particularly vigilant about maintaining healthy indoor air quality. But making sure that your home is as free as possible from indoor pollutants is important all year round.
If you have any indoor air quality tips you live by, we would love to hear them!
The outdoor air quality in my town has been really smoggy from air pollutants for the past few weeks, so these tips will be useful for helping to improve the indoor air quality in my home. It’s interesting that there are houseplants that can help to purify my air. That seems like that would be very beneficial to my home since the extra air pollutants are making my air filters dirty a lot more quickly. I don’t have any plants at the moment, but I’ll make sure to get a few that will help to purify the air in my home as soon as possible.