DIY Air Quality Improvement Tips for Every Room
The air we breathe is making us sick. From toxic cleaning chemicals to wildfire smoke to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and beyond, there are countless contaminants surrounding us each and every day. It’s gotten so bad that the EPA has had to step in.
What are some simple things you can do at home to improve the air quality? Keep reading for DIY air quality improvement tips that will help you breathe a little easier — figuratively and literally!
5 DIY Air Quality Improvement Tips for Cleaner, Safer Air
Improving your at-home air quality doesn’t require an overhaul of your habits. A few simple changes can really add up. Here are some suggestions to get you started.
1. Change Your Air Filters on Schedule
Could you tell us the last time you changed your air filters? It was probably a long time ago, right?
Hey, we’re not judging you — it’s too easy to forget! How frequently you change your filters depends on several factors, including the type you use, the climate you live in, the season, whether there are pets in the home, and if you have allergies.
For example, if you have allergies, you might want to change your filter once a month. Living in a more dry climate might necessitate more frequent changes than living in a humid climate.
Check the packaging or ask a reliable HVAC specialist for guidance.
Changing your filters as needed allows them to continue functioning optimally, which means you get to breathe cleaner air.
Read our blog: Do Air Conditioners Affect Air Quality?
2. Watch What You Burn
Do you burn a lot of candles? How about your cooking — do you use your stove a lot?
Let’s talk about candles. Most are made with paraffin wax, and paraffin comes from petroleum, also known as crude oil. When you burn paraffin wax, it creates benzene and toluene, both of which are known carcinogens — the same that are found in diesel fuel fumes!
Try sticking with candles made from soy or beeswax.
The stove in your home isn’t helping, even if the food is delicious. In particular, gas stoves release high levels of pollutants through leaks and combustions, like nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and particulate matter. Even when they’re turned off, they can release methane, a greenhouse gas.
And hopefully, this one goes without saying, but avoid smoking in your home.
Read our blog: The Best Air Purifier for Smoke.
3. Clean the Eco-friendly Way
The products you use to clean your home might have the opposite effect. Check the labels. Do you see phthalates, ammonia, formaldehyde, chlorine, phosphates, or bleach? These are just a few ingredients that you should try to steer clear of.
Brands are getting better at formulating safer products, and you can also try to make your own. Baking soda, vinegar, and castile soap are all more gentle options that can still keep your home sparkling clean.
A quick Google search is all you need. Look up the surface you’re trying to clean and what ingredients are safe to use on it. (For example, you won’t want to use vinegar on any and all surfaces because it might be too harsh.)
Read our blog: Are Household Cleaners Toxic?
4. Use an Air Purifier
If it seems like it’s 100% on you to keep your home clean and clear, you’re going to love this DIY air quality tip: Enlist the help of an air purifier.
When some of us think of air purification technology, we imagine clunky machines that make a ton of noise and look hideous. But air purifiers today are much more sleek and inconspicuous.
Sans is unmatched in its technology, using a pre-filter, activated carbon, a medical-grade HEPA 13 filter, and UV-C light to stop indoor air pollution in its tracks. It runs as needed, gives you real-time updates, notifies you when it’s time to change the filters, and is what we like to call meditation quiet.
Learn more about the Sans air purifier.
5. Ditch the Clutter
Decluttering your home is, perhaps surprisingly, important for your health. Not only is it beneficial for your mental well-being, but it also simultaneously helps you keep your home dust-free — and dust is a common allergen and respiratory irritant.
Clutter is also a great home for pests, who like cool, dark places to rest. Reduce clutter, and you’ll see a decline in the creepy crawlies setting up shop in your home.
One of the best tricks for reducing clutter is to immediately put things away, as opposed to doing what many of us do: “Eh, I’ll clean it up later.” Avoid piles of messes by not letting things pile up in the first place.
If it feels like you’re having a hard time finding a “home” for everything, consider that you might have too much stuff to begin with. Do you have clothes you haven’t worn in a few years? Kitchen gadgets you hardly touch? Piles of books that you’ll never read again?
Sell or donate them. You’ll make your life so much easier.
When it Comes to Home Air Quality, Do it Yourself
Air quality regulations are a work in progress, and we have a long way to go. Don’t wait for the EPA to improve its standards — take control with these DIY air quality tips for your home and office:
- Change your air filters on a regular basis.
- Avoid burning paraffin wax candles. Opt for soy or beeswax. Be mindful of how often you use your gas stove.
- Choose eco-friendly household cleaning products.
- Use an air purifier with a medical-grade HEPA 13 filter.
- Keep your home clutter-free.
If you follow these five DIY tips to improve your air quality at home, you have a much greater chance of staying healthy, steering clear of allergies, and avoiding airborne pathogens.