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    How to improve air quality in your home

     

    We spend a lot of time indoors – about 90 per cent of our time, in fact1. And given that concentrations of certain pollutants are often two to five times higher indoors than outdoors, it’s clear that it’s vital to have good air quality in our homes. Let us give you some ideas to improve indoor air quality so that your home is as happy and healthy as possible.

    Why Is Indoor Air Quality Important?


    Low air quality can have serious health consequences. In the UK, the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology considers environmental tobacco smoke, heating, and cooking appliances to be the most important sources of indoor air pollution at home, with the main health effects relating to the lungs and heart2. So, it’s clear that good air quality in our homes is essential and learning how to improve air quality should be high on any home’s ‘to-do’ list. 

    What causes low air quality indoors?

    What causes low air quality indoors?


    Before we get into how to improve indoor air quality, we need to consider what affects it in the first place. Poor air quality can be caused by things like:

     

    • Particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide, from: fireplaces, wood or coal heating, and cooking appliances
    • Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)
    • Chemicals, including volatile organic compounds, from: paints, varnishes, air fresheners, cleaning supplies, furniture, furnishings
    • Building materials, like asbestos
    • Allergens, like dust mites and pet dander
    • Mould


    Air pollutants from outdoors can also come inside, through open windows and doors, cracks, ventilation systems, and what we bring in on our shoes and clothes. These include:

     

    • Radon gases from the ground
    • Traffic emissions from busy roads
    • Smoke from industrial processes
    • Volatile chemicals from contaminated ground water or soils
    • Pollutants from dust and soil
    • Allergens from outdoors, including pollen

    What symptoms and illnesses can low air quality cause?

     

    Poor air quality indoors can lead to a number of unpleasant symptoms, such as:

     

    • Nose, throat and eye irritation
    • Headaches
    • Fatigue
    • Nausea
    • Dizziness


    At the extreme end of the scale, indoor air pollution can also contribute to serious illnesses, including:

     

    • Respiratory diseases
    • Cancer
    • Heart disease
    • Asthma attacks

    What you need

    How to Improve Air Quality in Your Home

     

    There are several ways to start improving the air quality inside your home. Discover how an air purifier and other measures can get your home back on track with clean, quality air to benefit you and your family's health and wellness. 

     

    Reduce Common Air Pollutants:

     

    1. Use an Air Purifier

     

    An air purifier works to reduce common air pollutants and improve the air quality in your home.  

    The Air Purifier Series 3000i plays an important part in improving air quality indoors. These include:

     

    2. Take precautions as part of your routine

     

    Use this list as a checklist to help you improve your air quality in your everyday routine and living conditions: 

     

    • Dust and clean regularly 
    • Clean your bedding and soft furnishings regularly 
    • Don’t smoke indoors 
    • Have your cooking, heating and fuel-burning appliances serviced regularly 
    • Use extraction fans when cooking 
    • Fit a carbon monoxide detector 
    • Avoid flueless gas appliances 
    • Choose furnishings, furniture, DIY products and paints with low VOC emissions 
    • Check if you live in a high radon area and act accordingly if so 

     

    Increase Air Circulation:

     

    A simple way to improve air quality in your home is to increase air circulation. You can do this by opening your windows daily for five to ten minutes. This is particularly important while cooking or after using your bath or shower.  

     

    Ventilating your home not only helps to improve air quality but also reduces the risk of viruses.  

     

    Invest in Air Quality Monitoring 

     

    If you're concerned about the air quality in your home, an air quality monitoring device can give you a better understanding of the issue and help you keep on top of it.   

     

    A good-quality air monitoring system identifies contaminants or pollutants that are affecting your indoor air quality. These sensors can provide measurements of the humidity, temperature, levels of particulate matter, and more. Some advanced systems can also show information about carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide levels, as well as outdoor air quality readings.  

     

     

     

    Source(s):


    1 EPA: Indoor Air Quality
    2 Parliament: Indoor Air Quality

    3 WHO: GARD
    4 Asthma UK: Facts and Statistics
    5 WHO: Air Pollution

    Additional Tips for Healthy Indoor Air    

     

    Change Air Filters Regularly

     

    Air filters play an important part in how your home heating and cooling systems work. You should change or clean the air filters in your home regularly to help improve the air quality and functionality of these systems. Changing or cleaning your filters every 90 days is a good rule of thumb to follow. If you have pets, it's a good idea to revisit your filters more often.  

     

    Maintain Healthy Houseplants

     

    Did you know that healthy houseplants can improve air quality in homes? They work to remove indoor pollutants and reduce air pollution. Maintain healthy, hydrated plants with access to plenty of sunlight to stimulate better air quality in your indoor space.

    Enjoy Cleaner, Healthier Air at Home    

     

    Now, you should have a better understanding of how to improve air quality in your home.  By taking measures in your daily routine and introducing an air purifier to your space, you should start to experience improved air quality so you can enjoy spending time in your home! Of course, an air purifier doesn’t just improve air quality in the home; it can be used in many indoor settings, like when you’re considering how to improve air quality in office and study spaces

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