How to Improve Home Air Quality Naturally
If you are like most people, you probably assume that the air indoors is cleaner as compared to the air outside. Surprisingly, things such as chemicals in cleaning products and paints, and dust can make the air indoors more polluted than the air outside. This is made worse by the fact that modern houses are focusing on being more energy-efficient, leading to poor ventilations that make stale air stay trapped in the indoors.
The average person spends most of the time indoors. Inhaling polluted air for a prolonged period of time can trigger health problems such as respiratory illnesses, digestive issues, and fatigue among others. Unfortunately, these allergens are invisible, and you only get a hint that you are breathing poor quality air when symptoms start showing.
However, you can improve the quality of the air at home naturally in the following ways.
1. Indoor plants
Plants help clean the air in that they breathe in the carbon dioxide that we breathe out, and breathe out the oxygen that we breathe in. A few good examples to start with include peace lilies, spider plants, ferns, and Devil’s ivy. These are known to absorb chemicals such as formaldehyde from the air in addition to carbon monoxide.
Growing plants indoors can be challenging especially where you don’t have enough light getting into the house. You can remedy this by using complete grow systems to supply your plants with the right requirements for light. They use a technology that mimics the sun, providing the full spectrum of the sun to plants growing indoors. These grow systems are also suitable if you’re interested in the mass growing of indoor plants. If you’d like to only experiment with a few samples of indoor plants, you can simply get LED to grow lights.
2. Clean regularly
Dust, mold, and pet dander that collect in the home over time are also culprits in polluting indoor air. Cleaning the house regularly significantly reduces the effects of these pollutants. Make sure that you focus your cleaning on areas that attract most of these pollutants. For instance, vacuuming your carpet and rug areas should be done at least once or twice a week. Clean beddings, drapes, and pillow cover regularly as well. Wipe down dust on furniture and plants as soon as it accumulates. In addition, clean the ducts and change air filters on your heating system regularly.
3. Open windows
We all know that opening windows is the easiest way to clean the air indoors. However, there are times that it seems counter-intuitive especially when you want the warm air to stay indoors during a chilly day. Keeping windows closed increases humidity that harbors the growth of allergens such as dust mites. While you may want to save on heating costs, you might find yourself spending the money in hospitals after breathing stale air. You don’t have to keep the windows open the whole day, a few minutes in intervals is enough to let in the fresh air and let out humidity.
4. Use essential oils
Essential oils extracted from plants provide a natural way of cleaning the air. Through an aromatherapy diffuser, you achieve a good-scented house, cleaner air, and benefit from these oils’ healing properties.
There is a long list of essential oils that you can choose from, including lavender, spearmint, and eucalyptus. Lavender is especially good at relieving stress and aiding in the healing of migraines, allergies, flu, and cold. Eucalyptus is also good at getting rid of the harmful toxins that cause respiratory illnesses. Go ahead and ditch air fresheners that include synthetic chemicals for a healthier choice of essential oils. Alternatively, make your own air freshener using baking soda, lemon juice, and hot water.
5. Eliminate dampness
As said earlier, dust mites and other allergens such as viruses and mold thrive in hot and moist environments. You can limit their growth by eliminating dampness from your home. For instance, avoid hanging damp clothes indoors and opt for drying them outside. When taking a hot shower, prevent the steam from getting to the rest of the house by closing the shower door. You can also use an extractor fan to get rid of steam after showering. Another obvious practice is to cover your cooking pots when the food inside is still hot.
Conclusion
There you have it! 5 ways that you can use to get rid of harmful toxins from the air and improve the quality of air around your home naturally. They are sure to create an environment where you can breathe easier and feel better and happy. This can ultimately help you have an enjoyable time indoors and sleep better at night.
