Keep Your House Clean and Your Air Cleaner
As bad as the flu season has been this year, it’s likely you are (rightfully) concerned with making sure the surfaces in your home are free from germs. What you might be overlooking, however, is ensuring the air in your home is free from germs and other contaminants, as well.
For your family, the cleanliness of the air is likely more important to their long-term health than the cleanliness of any surfaces they regularly touch. That’s why it’s so important to do everything you can to keep indoor air fresh at all times by following these quick and easy tips.
Clean your Home Thoroughly
One common culprit in polluted indoor air is actually the very chemicals you depend on for home cleaning. These products can release certain compounds that, when inhaled, can cause long-term damage to your or your family and even pets. If you need to continue using these products, it’s important to utilize proper ventilation whenever cleaning and utilize an experienced cleaning company. An open window is the best way to remove the harmful pollutants and allow fresh air in. Of course, one of the best tips to keep indoor air fresh and a better way to protect your home’s air is to use products which don’t contain harmful chemicals or create your own green cleaning products, to ensure the air never becomes polluted in the first place.
Know What’s in your Air & Environment
Most of the pollutants in your home’s air, though dangerous, tend to dissipate over time. Some pollutants, however, such as carbon monoxide and radon, do not dissipate so easily, and can have immediate or long-term health effects which are disastrous. Radon is a radioactive substance that enters your home through cracks. When inhaled, this substance can and does cause lung cancer, leading to over 21,000 premature deaths a year. A simple radon test can be used to gauge the radon levels in your home, while a radon monitor checks radon levels continually, allowing you to be aware of any sudden increases which would need to be addressed.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas which can cause near-instant death if inhaled in high concentrations. Gas-burning appliances and car exhaust are common sources of carbon monoxide in the home. To remain aware of changing levels, it’s important to place carbon monoxide detectors in locations similar to where you would place smoke detectors. You understand just how dangerous smoke can be, and carbon monoxide can be just as dangerous, therefore you need to be aware of its presence, so you can take action, if necessary.
Let Outside Air in as much as Possible
Of all the tips to keep indoor air fresh, one of the best tips is also one of the easiest. By simply opening windows in your home, you can create good air circulation which removes high concentrations of pollutants and keeps you cool when it’s hot outside. This circulation is important, not just after home cleaning, but on a regular basis to ensure the healthiest air for your family and get rid of indoor allergies.
To ensure maximum air movement, place a fan in an open window on the highest level of your home, with the air flow facing out. Next, open windows around your home, making sure to open at least one on the side of your home opposite of the fan. After that, turn on the fan to the desired speed. Setting up your ventilation in this manner will create a lower air pressure in the room with the window that has the fan in it.
As other air rushes in to equalize the pressure, yet more air will rush in to replace the air that moved to the room with the fan. This constant equalization will ensure a good air flow throughout your home, helping to keep indoor air fresh, while doing a great job of removing heat, as well.
Keep it Up
The idea of keeping your air as fresh as possible can seem challenging. After all, new pollutants are constantly entering your home that can negatively impact the quality of your home’s air. It’s a challenge worth taking on, however, since your family depends on you to help them stay healthy in any way you can.