Nowadays, we’re mostly forced to stay indoors due to the looming threat of the COVID-19 virus. So, it’s important to ensure that the air that we breathe within our living space is healthy. Unfortunately, there are some homes that have constricted space or less floor area. At times, this results in living spaces that are created with no windows or balconies, leaving no room for natural air to enter. In fact, other countries like India are so restricted in their living space that they settle for windows that open in the duct section. While many home buyers do not want to opt for this kind of home, there are a lot of prospective buyers who are willing to settle for this.
Nowadays, the air that we breathe in is more important than ever. We all need to ensure that we’re breathing in quality air to improve our respiratory system, our sleep cycle, our mental state and our overall health. However, some homeowners might think that attaining healthy indoor air quality (IAQ) isn’t possible if you have a poorly ventilated room. This isn’t entirely the case since there are some crafty ways you can recycle the air within a cramped living space and improve the indoor air quality.
What’s the Difference Between Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality?
In most cases, people would think of “air pollution” as the toxic smog that clouds populated cities during warm, summer days. However, you should keep in mind that air pollution isn’t limited to the outdoors. In fact, in some cases, the quality of the air inside your home can actually be worse than the air outdoors, albeit coming from a different source of pollution.
According to indoor air quality specialists, outdoor air pollution is mainly the byproduct of vehicle emissions, hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) pollution from our appliances and factory chemical byproducts. When discussing indoor air pollution, we typically refer to pollution that comes from sources like microscopic particles, such as dust mites, pollen, pet dander, bacteria and viruses, and chemical vapors that are also known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, homes nowadays are built with airtight insulation to facilitate energy efficiency. This also means that the air pollutants that get into your home can also get trapped inside.
During a calm summer day, opening your windows is one of the easiest ways to freshen up your living space to get rid of the musty air trapped indoors, improving your indoor air quality. However, this isn’t the case if you don’t have windows or poor ventilation. In fact, when you have high indoor pollution, homeowners should keep their windows and doors shut.
How to Improve Indoor Air Quality
It isn’t totally necessary to open your curtains and windows to get rid of indoor air pollutants. Here are some of the ways you can improve your home’s indoor air quality despite poor ventilation or lack of windows:
Conduct Routine Cleaning In Your Home
Eliminate the threat of dust mites and pet dander from irritating you and causing allergies by regularly vacuuming your carpets and washing your hard floors every week. You may consider investing in a vacuum equipped with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to eliminate dust mites in your room while you’re cleaning. Don’t forget to use a narrow nozzle to vacuum nooks and crannies in your home where dust particles can accumulate. You can also sweep your floors regularly for good measure. Don’t forget to wipe surfaces in your living space to get rid of dust and dirt that vacuums can’t remove as they can still pose a threat to your health.
Have Your Air Ducts Cleaned Regularly
When you have poor ventilation, the air in your living space becomes stale and contaminated with airborne pollutants. Your local HVAC contractor would recommend scheduling a professional air duct cleaning session once every three years to ensure that your ventilation system is healthy and in good working order. This is also a good opportunity to see if your vents have sustained damage so that repairs or replacements can be made accordingly.
Purify Your Indoor Air
You can invest in whole-home air purifications to remove all kinds of indoor air pollution for cleaner air in your home. In turn, this improves your cardiovascular and respiratory health. Plus, it will help improve your mood, productivity, sleep quality and overall well-being since the air you breathe in is clean and pristine.
Combat Humidity With a Dehumidifier
Moisture is one of the main catalysts of allergens like dust mites, mold and mildew. Make sure that your home’s humidity levels do not exceed 60% to reduce the risk of these issues from occurring. You can invest in smart thermostats that can easily monitor your home’s humidity levels so that you can plan your course of action.
Add Air-Purifying Plants
Numerous homeowners discovered during the pandemic that they have a green thumb. As such, many people have come to appreciate the positive effects of plants in purifying the air in our living space. Keep in mind that plants alone won’t help eliminate all pollutants in your living space, but some species like the garden mum, spider plants and the Dracaena have been scientifically proven to help purify the air of your living space. This discovery was first made by astronauts in 1989 when they were looking for creative ways to clean the air in the International Space Station. In fact, it works even better here on Earth than it does in space.
Call on EZ Air Conditioning and Heating for all your heating and cooling needs. We are the premier air condition repair and maintenance contractor in the area. We’re your green choice when it comes to anything HVAC related! You’ll spend less and save more when you entrust us to work on your heating and cooling units. We stand out from our competition through our superior performance and tailor-made options for our customers. Call us at (210) 429-9186, or fill out our contact form for no-obligation quote. We look forward to assisting you.
