Breathe Easier: 4 Tips for Better Indoor Air Quality

You know that breathing polluted air is bad for your health, but did you also know that there are measurable health benefits to improving your home’s indoor air quality? Giving your lungs fresh air can add a few months to your life, give you more energy, and help your digestive tract function more efficiently. 

Most people spend the majority of their time indoors, but the air inside homes and buildings can be more polluted than the smoggy air in a large, metropolitan city. To reap the benefits of breathing in clean air, it’s essential that you address the air quality in your home.

Other than keeping your home clean and dust free, you can open your windows regularly to bring in fresh outdoor air. However, if you want to purify your air further, try the following tips:

1.  Install an Air Filtration System

If there are small children, elderly family members, or severe allergy-sufferers in your home, you should consider installing an air filtration system. You can choose between portable or whole-house units that will filter dust, pollen, dust mites, mold, smoke, and pet dander out of the air. 

Whole-house filters integrate with your existing HVAC system. As air flows through your ducts, it runs through a robust filter that cleans the air before sending it through your home. One of the primary advantages of whole-house units is that they typically need maintenance just once each year. Most portable units need new filters multiple times each year, and the expense of replacing several filters throughout your home adds up quickly.

2.  Use Humidifiers and Dehumidifiers

Managing the humidity in your home is a delicate balancing act that changes with the seasons. The air holds a lot of moisture during warm summers, but the humidity plummets with the temperature in the winter.

Too much humidity in your home can boost mold and mildew growth. It can also rot wooden furniture and home framing. When your doors are more difficult to open and close, it’s a sign that they may have absorbed too much moisture. Healthy home humidity levels are from 30% – 50%. 

A hygrometer can help you monitor your humidity. If the humidity is consistently higher than 50%, you should invest in a dehumidifier. Moisture-loving plants can also help draw water out of the air. 

On the other hand, air that is too dry can cause respiratory infections and can exacerbate allergies and asthma. Our lungs are lined with moist membranes, but dry air makes it harder for the membranes to filter out particulates, which causes lung irritation.

If the humidity in your home is below 30%, you can improve your health by using a humidifier. Your skin, nose, and lungs will thank you! Moist air also helps keep wooden furniture and floors in good condition and reduces static electricity. 

3.  Invest in a UV Air Purifier

UV air purifiers reside in the supply plenum of your home’s HVAC system and destroy pollution particulates, microbes (MRSA, e-Coli, and Norwalk), and mold spores. UV lamps can also reduce odor-causing particles from cooking, pet dander, and dust. 

When your HVAC pulls air through the supply plenum, the UV lamp destroys undesirable particulates before sending the clean air into your home. UV air purifiers work great in conjunction with air filtration systems. Together, the two systems can create extremely clean, high-quality air for your home.

4.  Have Your Ducts Professionally Cleaned

Dirty ducts spread dust and mold spores through the air in your home, but a professional duct cleaning gets rid of accumulated dust, debris, and microbes. In addition to improving your home’s indoor air quality, clean ducts also help your HVAC system run more efficiently. You’ll breathe easier and lower your energy bill at the same time!

Not all homes need yearly duct cleaning. However, if you’ve recently had your home renovated or if allergy-sufferers are struggling more than usual, a duct cleaning would be wise. Also, if you’ve thoroughly cleaned your vent registers and you still have dust, pet hair, and debris coming out of your ducts, it’s time to schedule a full cleaning.

Improve Your Indoor Air Quality

If you need recommendations for an air filtration system, UV air purifiers, a humidifier or dehumidifier, or if you would like a full duct cleaning, schedule an appointment with a Guin specialist today.