How to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality Yourself: Everything You Need to Know

Have you been feeling lethargic at home lately? Scratchy throat? Irritated eyes? There’s a good chance the indoor air quality (IAQ) in your home isn’t up to snuff—and that’s a problem.

Poor indoor quality is tied to several pulmonary complaints and diseases like asthma. More serious exposures, like asbestos and radon, can lead to lung cancer. So, what are some good tips and tricks to improve your home’s indoor air quality?

One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning has extensive experience helping families breathe healthy clean air, and here are some things you can do at home to improve your own IAQ!

How to Improve Indoor Air Quality in Your Home

There are steps you can take yourself to improve your home’s indoor air quality. Here are five:

1. Keep Your House Clean

One of the easiest (albeit time-consuming!) ways to maintain healthy indoor air quality is regularly cleaning your home. Weekly vacuuming and dusting can eliminate dust bunnies and animal dander that collects in the corners of rooms. Also, regularly clean your drapes and bedding throws, which also tend to collect dust and allergens. We also recommend using dust mite-proof covers on pillows and mattresses. Keeping all rooms clear of clutter gives dust less opportunity to hide.

If you’re swamped with other things, contact our sister brand, The Cleaning Authority, for a professional, stress-free home cleaning service.

2. Go Easy on Indoor Plants

We’re sure you’ve seen articles about how plants improve indoor air quality because they absorb CO2 and release fresh oxygen. In reality, indoor plants can also collect and foster the growth of mold, triggering troublesome allergens.

3. Let in Fresh Air

Even in the colder months of winter, it’s always a good idea to let in a fresh breeze. (Outdoor air is almost always cleaner than indoor air.) While the windows are open, turn on fans—especially in the kitchen—to remove moisture and cooking fumes.

4. Don’t Forget About Changing Your Furnace Filter

Furnace filters are designed to keep contaminants out of your heating and cooling system. As a result, air quality benefits. But here’s a statistic: Nearly 30% of Americans have never changed the air filter in their home’s furnace. Of those who do change their filters, 30% do so only a couple of times each year, which isn’t frequent enough.

(Smaller 1 or 2-inch furnace filters should be replaced at least once every three months. It’s better, though, to replace them monthly. The thicker the filter, the longer you can wait between changings: A 4-inch filter, for example, can wait to be changed every six to nine months.)

5. Remediate Mold

Mold is a serious air-quality issue. If you discover it in your home, have it remediated by a professional who follows state and federal guidelines. We recommend hiring another sister brand, STOP Restoration, for safe and thorough mold removal.

Hire an Indoor Air Quality Professional

The technicians at One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning are knowledgeable, skilled, and experienced when it comes to improving indoor air quality. Request an appointment today.