Did you know that the air quality inside your home can be 10 times worse than outside? And no, spraying a scented air freshener would not do the trick nor dispel ‘dirty’ indoor air.
You may not realise this but the air you breathe at home has a bigger impact on your health overall. This is especially so during a pandemic, as you’re forced to stay indoors all week!
The poor air quality will pose a threat to you and your family so it's vital to eliminate the pollutants that inhabit your home and ensure that your home is well ventilated.
If you’re not keen on spending a few hundred for an air purifier, why not follow these five simple tips to get you started on having fresh, clean air?
1. Open your windows for fresh air
The cheapest way indefinitely? Opening your windows. It is the simplest way to promote a good exchange of indoor and outdoor air, be it in an apartment complex or a good old fashioned terrace house.
It may not always seem practical when you factor in the weather, humidity, vehicle pollution and others. But it only takes about five minutes a day to alleviate the accumulated pollutants in your indoor air. And with fewer vehicles on the road now, it helps to lessen the damp air in your home.
2. Invest in lots and lots of houseplants!
Indoor plants can purify and rejuvenate the air we breathe within our walls, keeping us safe from harmful toxins like ammonia, formaldehyde and benzene. As such, it is one of the best and natural ways to eliminate pollution indoors, especially if you or a family member suffers from a respiratory illness. Plus, it's not hard on the eyes too.
Some of the best plants to filter out toxins are peace lily, spider plant (aka spider lily), ferns, chrysanthemum, money plant, silver vine and bamboo palm.
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3. Clean your air conditioner regularly
This tip is especially useful for those who suffer from asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Having an air conditioner (AC) is like having a house-covered filtration system at your disposal. It works by absorbing surrounding air in your house, cleaning it, cooling it and then pumping it back in. Thus, the more you clean or change the AC filters, the better the air quality.
All you have to do is find out what kind of AC system you own and what recommendations are given by your manufacturer in changing the filters.
4. Clean your floor coverings (i.e. carpets)
While hard surface flooring like tiles, wood or cork can be easily cleaned with a wet mop, carpets on the other hand easily trap pollutants like dust mites, pet hair, dirt, fungi and dust. This is why you should clean them regularly to help curb build-up.
An easy way to clean them is by either using a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) vacuum cleaner or a robot vacuum cleaner, which essentially regulates cleanliness and retains better air quality longer, easing allergies.
5. Invest in salt lamps
A natural air purifier, salt attracts water. This is why salt lamps are great for reducing allergens, airborne allergens and pathogens by pulling water out of the air.
These Himalayan salt lamps do the trick in any part of your home and it helps to know that the natural orange glow will not disturb your sleep be it during the day or night.
Note: although they better the air purification process when they are turned on, they do minimal work well when switched off too.
The bottom line
Whether it's using one of these tips or all of them, one thing’s for sure; you’ll be only breathing in clean air from now on. Remember, dust and such are common air pollutants. By knowing the main cause of dampened air, your house should feel refreshed in no time!