When we think about air pollution, your mind goes straight to traffic jams in New York City, and industrial smokestacks billowing out dark clouds of smoke. It is not as easy however, to imagine just how polluted the air indoors might be. Especially in recent times, the quality of the air inside one’s home, office, or any other living space has come under great scrutiny.

What you might not know is, the air inside of those four walls could be just as bad (or worse!) that it is outside. An average American (whatever that is) spends approximately 87% of their life inside, so you would imagine the air quality indoors would be a lot more popular of a topic than it is! However, before you start panicking, there are some steps that one can take to improve the indoor air quality and ensure that you are breathing the best air possible.

What is Polluting the Air?

Contaminants that pollute the air can vary from extremely dangerous gas leaks, to pollutants brought in by your dog from outside. Carbon monoxide is a well-known pollutant that is the result of natural gas being burned, and this can be very dangerous if it gets in to your home. Older houses are known to have lead particles and asbestos in them, which can be quite harmful to someone’s lungs if inhaled. Mildew and mold can also become a pain in places where the moisture levels are higher than the rest of the house, i.e. the bathroom and kitchen. Here are some actions you can take to improve your indoor air quality immediately:

Replace Your Air Conditioning Filter

As you probably already know, an air conditioning system ensures that your house or office stays at the temperature that you want all year. However, while all of that air is passing through the system, the filters that they have installed in them are collecting a lot of the pollutants in the air. As time passes, the filter will start to fill up and become blocked. This is not only an issue for your indoor air quality, it also puts more strain on your AC system, and that will cause something to break sooner rather than later. Set reminders to change your filter at regular intervals, or you can set up a maintenance contract with a HVAC contractor who will ensure that the system is running 100% along with changing the filters.

Remember All of the Other Air Filters

The filter within your AC system is not the only air filter in your home. To ensure that the highest level of indoor air quality is achieved, the filters in your other household devices and machines must also be changed. This includes your clothes dryer, kitchen vents, and vacuum cleaner, these should all be maintained at regular intervals, every couple of months is what is generally recommended.

Inspect Your Air Ducts

Ductwork transport that cold and hot air around your house in order to keep it at your desired temperature. However, they can also become pathways for pollutants and contaminants to travel from one room to another. If the ductwork is not installed properly, or not maintained at all, dander, dust and mold can collect inside of the ductwork and then be conveniently distributed al over your home. You can again hire a HVAC contractor to ensure that you have clean air circulating around your house.

Use Your Kitchen Hood

A lot of the air pollutants that will be in your house will have come from the kitchen. Stoves that use gas can emit harmful contaminants, like nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. Electric stoves can also generate the same pollutants, but in much lower levels, along with other tiny particles that humans can easily absorb into their bloodstream. So when you’re cooking up a storm in the kitchen, be sure to use your kitchen hood and the other cooking vents to ensure that as many harmful contaminants are being removed as possible.

*Always open the vents in the kitchen while cooking! Source: Unsplash*

Clean Your Carpets and Rugs!

Carpets and rugs are not just for comfortable nights in by the open fire. They actually act as their own air filter, collecting dust and other particles within their fibers. Be sure to always clean your carpets and rugs every week, to ensure that they keep filtering the air and looking nice!

Humidity Control

Moist and humid climates give mildew and mold the best chance at growing, and they can then trigger issues with a person’s respiratory system like asthma and other allergies. Depending on where you live, there may be some hot and humid weather during the summer months. Utilize some dehumidifiers and take the moisture out of the air, and stop the mildew and mold in their tracks. There are so many various humidifier models to choose from the you will surely find one that suits your application.

Acquire Some Plants

Plants and trees and nature’s way of filtering the air, and they are quite good at it. Picking up some new plants can really change the indoor air quality in a house. Not only that, but you will be enhancing the look of your home as well, because who doesn’t like plants? Larger palm trees and smaller lilies and ferns are the best options for those looking for the best plants to clean their air.

Will you be carrying out some of these measure to keep the air in your house as clean as possible? Which action do you think will have the biggest impact? Let us know in the comments below!