How to Improve Your Home’s Air Quality

Now that we are spending more time in our homes than ever, it’s important to do a quick assessment of your indoor air quality. You know the list: dust mites, mold, pet dander, chemicals, and more, all of which can lead to an unhealthy home climate. Let’s take a look of ways to step up your indoor air game:

Whole-house air purifiers remain the most effective and efficient way to clean your air and protect your family from harmful indoor pollutants. An air purification system which houses a MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) filter is the best way to remove allergens, dust, mold, pet dander and even viruses. Look for a MERV rating of 13 or more.

Frequent housecleaning remains one of the best ways to rid your environment of dust and dirt. Weekly dusting and vacuuming will reduce the amount of unwanted particles you inhale. Make an effort to keep cleaning products natural and avoid chemicals. Visit my blog post on natural cleaning here.

Letting the fresh air in will improve your indoor air quality. Particularly in newer homes which are built for energy efficiency, the gases from carpets, furniture, building materials, gas stoves and other chemicals are trapped inside. Open the front and back doors and some windows on a dry day for five to ten minutes to improve natural ventilation.

Reduce moisture in your home. Have a waterproofing specialist assess your exterior drainage to ensure that water is flowing away from your foundation and check the interior humidity levels. Ideal indoor humidity levels are between 40-50%. This is especially important if you have a crawl space. We installed a whole house dehumidifier recently, and the “old house smell” is completely gone due to the reduced humidity levels.

Have a radon test performed to make sure that your radon levels are under well under 3 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). Radon is one of the leading causes of lung cancer. It’s a wise investment for your health, and all buyers will do their own test so it’s best to head off any problems before you put your home on the market.

Adding houseplants may reduce the levels of indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide. Find which houseplants do the best job here.

Do you need a referral to service providers which might help you improve your air quality and pave the way for a smooth sale when the time arrives? Contact me for more information.