7 Ways to Improve the Home’s Air Quality

Last Updated on April 29, 2016 by Michael Brockbank

Air quality plays more of an important role in fitness than what a lot of people realize. Particulates in the air can reduce oxygen absorption in the lungs. Poor air can also affect those who suffer from asthma in a myriad of ways. It can also affect the amount of cleaning you do throughout the week as dust and other components settle on furniture. In extreme cases, the air in your home may be making you excessively sick.

How to Improve the Air Quality of the Home

Eating healthy and getting exercise aren’t the only aspects for getting into shape. What you breath can affect everything from allergies to increasing the toxicity within your blood stream. Although the latter is rare, it’s still a possibility depending on what is in the air you breath. So, what can you do to improve the air quality of your home?

1. HVAC Filters
   Virtually any air conditioner has a filtration system on it with the exception for most fans. Even the units you stick in your window often have a thin filter that can be cleaned. When this gets clogged, you’re putting various particulates back into the room. It can also cause the unit to break down before it’s time. It’s beneficial for the health of everyone in the home to make sure these filters are properly maintained.
2. Cleaning Duct Work
   If you have central conditioners or a heating system that uses duct work, keeping these clean can be greatly beneficial for health. Before the spring, you want to make sure the ducts are ready for cool flow. Before winter, you’ll focus more on heating ducts. The bottom line is that the flow of air can pick up various debris and send it back into the atmosphere you breath.
3. Increase the Plant Life
   Homes that have more plants indoors have a better breathing quality. I’ve noticed a decrease in dust and other particulates in areas of the home that have more plants. Although the oxygen level may increase slightly because of how plants operate, they also act like a kind of scrubbing system by collecting the junk that floats in the atmosphere. I wish I could have more, but my cats keep wiping them out.
4. General House Cleaning
   The more debris you clean now, the less that can be put back into the home. From a healthy perspective, keeping the house swept and wiped down can enhance breathing by everyone indoors. Otherwise, you could be inhaling part of that debris that you see collecting on top of the television or within couch cushions.
5. Keep the Air Circulated
   Unless you live next to a freeway or other high-polluted area, opening the windows can get the flow circulating throughout the house. One of my favorite times of the year is during spring when the flowers start to bloom. Opening all the windows can get that fresh smell of lilacs permeating throughout the house. It also helps get rid of the stale smell that looms, especially when you own as many pets as I do.
6. Keeping the Cloth Clean
   Things like the drapes, linen and even couches can consist of dust mites, allergens and other pieces of debris. Regularly cleaning these components can affect the air quality by getting rid of these nasty annoyances. I try to keep my floors and furniture steam-cleaned regularly. You should have seen the amount of nastiness that came out of my daughter’s bed when I cleaned it.
7. Landscaping
   Homes that have yards full of plant life often experience the lowest levels of dust indoors. This is because the outside plant life keeps these components at ground level. If you have a yard full of dirt, the slightest breeze can kick up these components – which can make their way into the house. I’ve noticed a huge difference in the amount of dust in my home between having a lawn and having nothing but dirt in the yard.

Improving air quality doesn’t take a great deal of effort when you want to enhance the level of health in the home. For the most part, it merely takes effort to keep key components clean. Think of it this way, you’ll get plenty of exercise by keeping the house cleaner for improved breathing.

What kind of allergens are you affected by and how do you deal with them?

About Author

Michael Brockbank

Since 2015, Michael has put in the effort to lose more than 80 pounds by gamifying fitness and eating proper portion sizes. He conducts extensive research into various health and fitness products to provide the best answers possible according to his own experience and knowledge.

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