How can you keep your indoor air clean? Here are a few less conventional tips and a reminder of the dos and don’ts of indoor air quality
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Air out your house. A house with good air flow will keep fewer chemicals inside.
Airing out your house doesn’t need to mean that you open all of the doors and windows, although you can open a window or two to encourage the cross-flow of air. A house should be able to breathe. Make sure that your home is not sealed completely.
One warning: if you’re allergic to pollen in the home, try not to air out your home on a sunny spring day.
Filter your air. Schedule annual furnace duct cleaning, especially if you’re prone to allergies. When the furnace starts up again in the fall, that can be a call to all of that stored pollen and dust mites! Get a vacuum with a HEPA filter and get one that can do wood and tile floors as well as carpets. Sweeping seems to clean the floors, but often it simply puts dust into the air. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, get a filter and run it in your bedroom as well.
Add indoor plants to improve the air quality in your home. Gerbera daisies, pothos, and Dracaena do this job well.
Create a mudroom. Even if it’s just a corner near the front door, taking off your shoes before you enter the house will help reduce the outdoor materials that you track in, making life easier for those who clean up.
How can you reduce allergens and chemical pollution in your home?
Choose low VOC paints
Build with natural materials
Install new home materials using nontoxic glues
Choose used or natural furniture
Choose pets without allergenic dander
Reduce the scents you use in the home if people are sensitive
Wash bedding regularly
Vacuum and dust regularly
Keep furniture and walls dry to prevent mold growth
How do you keep your indoor air clean and allergen-free?