You’ve probably heard of the dangers of indoor air pollution. And perhaps you are now aware that the air in our homes is four to five times more contaminated than the air outside. The natural thing we all want to do is to get rid of almost all the air contaminants in our houses. Breathing in quality air is significant for our health. So how can you improve indoor air quality ?
The quality of the air in your home affects the quality of your health and the health of your family. Poor indoor air
quality can lead to tightening of breath, itchy eyes, dizziness, fatigue and headache. In some cases it can lead to asthma attack. Inhaling carbon monoxide for long period can cause death. Yes! The consequences of indoor air pollution are scary. But don’t panic! Improving the quality of indoor air is quite easy. Back to my earlier question again : HOW can you improve indoor air quality then ?
There are 3 basic principles you can employ to increase the quality of the air at homes:
1. ELIMINATING THE SOURCE OF THE POLLUTANTS
The most basic and by far the most cost effective way to improve the quality of indoor air is to eradicate the source of the contaminants. Controlling the source of pollutants in your house will drastically reduce if not eliminate the harmful toxins, particles, gases and substances.
Ensuring your gas stove and heaters work properly will eliminate harmful gases improperly installed gas stoves and heaters release. Fix leaking plumbings to prevent toxic substances passing through them into your home.
2. ENSURING PROPER VENTILATION IN YOUR HOME.
Increase the ventilation in your house to drive out the pollutants in the air. We need fresh air to breath comfortably.
So you would want to ventilate your home several times a day. But remember that just flinging open a window won’t ensure proper ventilation. The air outside contains toxic substances as well.
The best practice is to use trickle ventilation. It fits well in most windows. It will ensure you drive out the polluted air and brings you fresh air.
3. USING AN AIR PURIFIER OR CLEANER
Another way to improve indoor air quality is to use an air cleaner. Air cleaners capture and remove pollen, toxins and other allergens in the air. Air cleaners come in different sizes. And it ranges from inexpensive models to quite expensive ones.
You will have to access the degree of contamination in your home before buying an air purifier. In this POST, we discussed the important questions a buyer need to ask before getting an air cleaner.
There are sort of air cleaners available on the market. Check this ARTICLE to read about the various air purifers we have. The HEPA air purifiers are the best and most effective. You wouldn’t want to use electronic air cleaners since its effective is not known.
TURNING ON THE AC IS QUITE HELPFUL in the summer. most of these pollutants are water soluble. AC removes water in the atmosphere and thereby reducing the level of water soluble contaminants in our homes.
NOW LET’S LOOK AT SOME SPECIFIC PRACTICES WE CAN USE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF AIR IN OUR HOMES
CONTROL PARTICLES AND IRRITATING GASES IN THE AIR
Volatile organic compounds are among the most common pollutants in our homes. These compounds are produced by many devices, products and appliances in the house.
Many cleaning products have these harmful particles. To control these particles, you should use fragrance-feee products. Avoid sprays. Use liquids or pastes to clean your home since they produce very few particles in to the air.
As we mentioned above, controlling the source of the pollutants is significant. Call in your technician to properly fix your stoves and heaters if they are faulty. Faulty gas stoves and heaters release toxic levels of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. Very awful gases with serious health problems.
KEEP DUST MITES OUT OF YOUR HOME.
Duct mites are one of the major cause of allergy in many people. They are found at many places in your home. You 
can find them on your carpets, furniture, pillow and in the air.
There are a lot you can do to evict these microscopic organisms from your home.
Dust mites thrive in humid environment. They can’t survive dryness. Don’t run a humidifier if you have dust mites allergy. In fact use a dehumidifier rather. Keep the temperature in your home below 30 or 35 percent. This will inhabit their growth. You can also use air conditioning to keep dust mice out.
Wash your bedding and clothes at least once a week in a hot water and dry them properly. Use damp cloth or dust mop to reduce dust in your home. Using a vacuum with HEPA filters can equally effectively reduce dust mites.
AVOID SMOKING IN THE HOUSE.
The dangers of smoking is well known. If you want to breath pure and fresh air in your home, DON’T SMOKE! Don’t also allow any one to smoke in your house. The effects of second hand smoke is too real. Keep smokers out of your home.
KEEPING ALLERGENS FROM PETS UNDER CONTROL.
Almost everyone loves thier pet. But if you have pet allergy, you must consider the way you live with and treat your pet. The allergens on a pet can be drastically reduced by bathing it often. 
Keeping the pet outside, especially outside the bedroom is a great way to increase the quality of the air you breath. Remember you spend at least 8 hours in the bedroom every day. So it’s important you do away with allergens in the bedroom
IN CONCLUSION….
Yes it’s true the air in our homes is awful. But you can improve indoor air quality by following the simple measures we outlined above. These measures work. They really do ! They are every effective. And more to the point most of them aren’t expensive.
I hope this piece was enlightening. Feel free to leave a suggestion, comment or question if you have any. I would be happy to connect.
Related Posts;
Sources of Indoor Air Pollution