Improve Your Air Quality at Home

The quality of the air in your home plays a big part in your overall health. Here are a few things you can do to improve your home’s air quality:

Grow Houseplants

There are several plants that act as air filters and rid their surroundings of harmful chemicals, such as:

ammonia
benzene
formaldehyde
toluene
trichloroethylene
xylene

Most of these plants come from tropical regions but are common houseplants in cooler, temperate regions. The list includes:

Plants like these also help regulate the humidity in your home (you want to keep it between 35% and 65%), another factor of air quality.

Change Your Filters

Your home’s HVAC system uses air filters to keep dust and debris out of your furnace and air conditioner. These filters are meant to be changed or cleaned regularly, but many homeowners forget about them for far longer than their intended lifespan. As more and more junk clutters up the filter, it becomes less and less effective at doing its job. Tossing and replacing the filter (or cleaning it, if it’s a reusable type) can drastically improve air quality.

When putting in a new filter, see if you can get a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter that fits your HVAC system. Though generally more expensive, these filters are held to strict standards, and trap all but the smallest particles.

Avoid New Contaminants

There are many ways that new contaminants can get introduced to your home. Take steps to limit how many you let in. Start by greening your cleaning routine. Whenever possible, try to avoid harsh chemical cleaners in the home. You might be surprised at how effective simple vinegar and lemon juice can be in cleaning up kitchen or bathroom surfaces. Additionally, a paste made from baking soda and water works quite well on anything that needs a little bit of scrubbing, but it doesn’t scratch most surfaces. (If you’re worried, test it in an inconspicuous area first.) Use soaps and detergents that don’t have synthetic fragrances added in. Stop some problems at the door by having floor mats at each entrance and taking off your shoes once inside. Finally, insist on a smoke-free home when friends or relatives who smoke visit.

Ditch Old Carpet

This tip might not be for everyone—at least not right away. But for anyone looking to remodel a room in the near future, consider ditching the carpet for hardwood or tile floors. The synthetic fibers of most new carpets and the adhesives used to bind them to the floors are prime candidates for off-gassing. Over time, the carpets will hold pollutants in your home anyway.

When dust and other contaminants fall to the floor, or are tracked in on shoes from outdoors, they can get trapped in carpet fibers. Once there, they can be nearly impossible to remove. Regular vacuuming helps, and steam cleaning is even better, but nothing is able to get your carpet 100% clean again. Additionally, dust mites can take up residence in carpet fibers, which is a particular problem for those with allergies or asthma. Area rugs, which can be washed more thoroughly, have fewer of these problems.