The EPA found that the air inside your home is usually even more polluted than outside, thanks to building materials, furnishings, electronics, smoking, cleaning, and unvented or malfunctioning appliances. So how can we be sure that the air we are breathing is safe? Try these tips to truly improve your indoor air quality and promote wellness in your home.
Open The Windows
It’s easy and it’s free! Opening your windows for just 5-10 minutes each day can help alleviate the accumulation of any chemicals and pollutants that can build up in your home. As an added bonus, keeping windows open can help you save on A/C costs and bring in that fresh air smell to make your home a more natural, welcoming environment.
Bring In Houseplants
Houseplants are great for improving air quality, as they actively produce new oxygen for your home. Some plants are even effective at reducing certain harmful chemicals in your home, including benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, xylene, trichloroethylene, airborne mold, and more. Here are some of our favorite plants to purify the home:
Aloe Vera
Due to its ability to release oxygen throughout the night, Aloe Vera is one of the best plants for air purification. It’s also one of the easiest plants to take care of, and it has great healing properties for burns and other minor injuries.
Jasmine
Jasmine helps clean the air and has a delightful scent that’s proven to promote better quality sleep for those that keep the plant in their bedroom.
Lavender
Another calming and sleep-promoting scent, lavender is a great plant to encourage sleep as well as clean air.
Other plants that can help purify your home include Areca palms, English ivy, gerbera daisies, snake plants, and peace lilies.
Opt For Natural Air Fresheners
Rather than pumping more chemicals into your home with a plug-in or spray, scent your home in more natural ways. Use essential oil diffusers instead of air fresheners; many oils actually have properties that can reduce airborne bacteria and dust mites, like eucalyptus and rosemary. Further, if you want to burn candles (note that any candle you burn will send soot into your air), use beeswax instead of paraffin wax candles. Pure beeswax candles can artificially create negative ions to pull positive ions down to the ground and out of the air.
Leave your shoes at the door
Have you ever thought about what you’re tracking in with each step? Pesticides, pollen, fungi, bacteria, feces . . . the list goes on. Take off your shoes when you’re inside to reduce the amount of dirt and toxins you bring into your home.
Make Sure Pets Are Groomed
Pet dander can affect your home’s quality of air and your ability to breathe, leading to asthma-like symptoms. Groom your pet regularly and clean furniture and floors to remove any accumulated fur and dander.
Use Nontoxic Cleaners
You might think you’re doing a good thing for your family’s health by using those strong household cleaners, but the toxic chemicals in them cause eye, nose, throat, and lung irritation, and certainly aren’t the best to be breathing in. Try purchasing green cleaners or making at-home cleaners with safer items like vinegar, baking soda, citrus juice, and essential oils.
Use An Air Purifier
A low-maintenance way to keep your air clean is buying something specifically designed to do just that. Air purifiers are especially beneficial to those who have asthma or breathing problems, but they can be great for any family conscious of the air they’re breathing in.
Take Extra Steps When Bringing In New Furniture
New furniture emits volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can linger in the air after you’ve introduced a new piece to your living room. If possible, leave the windows of the room open most of the day for the first few months to allow as many VOCs to escape as possible.
The air we breathe has huge impacts on our overall health, and although most of us would never imagine it, the air inside our homes is some of the worst we can breathe. Taking these measures to purify your indoor air can help promote the wellness of your family by avoiding everything from minor allergen irritation to severe health problems with lasting ramifications.
When considering making wellness-focused adjustments in your home, contact Davin Interiors. Davin Interiors can help bring your vision to life, creating a comfortable and safe environment for your family.