Freshening your home should be part of your daily routine. When everything can sit for a few days, the air quality you experience can degrade rapidly.
With 90% of the average day spent indoors, you could be breathing in air that is more polluted than what you get outside.
That’s why these handyman tips for indoor air quality improvements are essential for your home’s toolbox. You can make the air you breathe better by following these natural solutions.
1. Keep Your Floors Clean
Allergens like to settle on your floors. If you have rugs or carpeting, the pollens, pet dander, and other triggers can get deep into the fibers to create ongoing triggers. It helps to use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter to reduce the risk of pollutant exposure.
If you have hardwood, vinyl, or tile floors, it helps to mop them regularly to improve indoor air quality.
2. Check Your Furniture
Before adding any furniture to your home, you’ll want to review the material composition of each item. Some finishing products, including stains, varnishes, and lacquers, can cause issues for people with asthma or allergies.
It also helps to avoid furniture made from formaldehyde-treated wood. Even some glues and adhesives can cause allergic reactions in some individuals.
3. Add or Remove Humidity
The humidity level for your home should be at least 30%. If it is any lower, you can experience adverse symptoms due to the constant dryness.
It should also be less than 50% to keep your indoor allergens under control. If it is higher than that, you can experience more mold and mildew growth.
You might need to add or remove humidity from your indoor environment to achieve those levels so that you can improve your indoor air quality.
4. Stop Smoking
If you smoke at home or allow your guests to do so, your indoor environment can collect odors and chemicals. Secondhand exposures increase your risk of developing cancer, asthma, and several other health risks.
When smoking is part of the daily habit for you or your friends, try creating an outdoor area for everyone to take a break.
5. Eliminate Fragrances
Did you know that many of the cleaning products that people use each day can impact indoor air quality? These chemicals and disinfectants have fragrances that can be triggering issues for people with allergies, migraine headaches, or asthma.
Bathroom cleaners, dish soap, and laundry detergent tend to be the biggest offenders in this category. If you want to eliminate fragrances, try using a natural product like baking soda to reduce odors. You can also use acidic products, like vinegar or citrus, to create results.
6. Add Plants to your Home
Not only will plants add more color to each room, but they also act as natural air purifiers. Some species prefer full sunlight, while others don’t mind being in the shade. If you’re not sure about the status of your “green thumb,” succulents are an excellent choice for filtering the air and adding humidity.
7. Use Beeswax Candles
Although candles help to make a room feel cozier, many of them contain paraffin. That product is typically made from petroleum, which can adversely impact your home’s air quality. Instead of burning that stuff, consider purchasing beeswax products.
When you choose a beeswax candle for your home, it emits almost no smoke when the wick is active. That makes it an excellent option for anyone dealing with asthma or allergies.
8. Test for Radon
Even though some handyman services don’t offer this option, it is helpful to have your property tested for radon. It’s a colorless, odorless gas found in nearly all soil types. It can move up from the ground and into your home from the foundation, especially if you live in a single-family structure.
9. Tackle Mold and Mildew
When mold and mildew start building up in a home, the process can reduce overall air quality. It’s especially problematic for individuals with breathing concerns. You can reduce the chances of its development by creating more ventilation in the kitchen and bathroom, fixing leaking plumbing, and emptying the drip trays from your air conditioner or dehumidifier.
Another option to consider for improving your indoor air quality is to open your windows on a nice day. By creating a breeze with fresh air, you can cycle the older stuff out so that each room feels fresher. It also helps to take off your footwear before entry to keep pollutants, dirt, and potential pesticides from getting into your home.
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