Unfortunately, air quality alerts are becoming a more common occurrence these days. Aside from that, there are many reasons why the air quality in your home may not be at its best. Maybe it’s a faulty furnace or an aged carpet to blame. Making an effort to improve indoor air quality can help you avoid asthma flare-ups and allergy symptoms and keep you breathing easy through both the hotter and colder months. By making some simple changes you can improve the air quality inside your home.

Here are some ideas: 

• Check the furnace filter – This is one of the most overlooked maintenance items in the home. Any furnace repair person can tell you stories about filters they’ve seen caked in dust or not the right size. Make sure those aren’t yours. Air passes through those filters before circulating throughout your home. Replacing a filter takes less than five minutes.

• Use an air purifier – Choose a device that uses a HEPA filter, the gold standard for indoor air purifiers. Also, look for one that has a Clean Air Delivery Rating (CADR) equal to at least two-thirds of the room’s area. You may also want to consider if the purifier’s energy costs and ongoing maintenance costs are within your budget.

• Clean the drains – Drains are a surprisingly common source of odour in the home. Most people only clean them when they’re clogged, but they should be flushed thoroughly with a good-quality cleaner at least once a season.

• Turn on the bathroom fan – Not only do bathroom fans remove odour, but they also reduce moisture build-up. About 50% of air pollutants originate from some type of moisture; mould is the worst of these pollutants. Professionals recommend you keep your bathroom fan on for at least 30 minutes after a shower.

• Let the fresh air in. Even in the cold months, open windows from time to time to allow fresh air to move into the house. Also, move potential air contaminants out by using fans in the kitchen to remove cooking fumes.

• Keep it clean. Good indoor hygiene can greatly cut down on dust and animal dander
  • Vacuum the carpets and area rugs at least once or twice a week with a vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter. Opting for hard-surface flooring instead of wall-to-wall carpeting may also cut down on allergens in the home.
  • Regularly cleaning bedding, drapes, and other items that tend to attract allergens—particularly if you have pets. Also consider using dust mite–proof covers on pillows, as well as mattresses and box springs, whenever possible.

• Clean your doormat – Even if your doormat doesn’t smell, it can be a source of air pollutants. When people wipe their shoes, they transfer outside pollutants from their shoes to your mat.

Hope these tips have you breathing a little bit easier. The Government is a great resource for everything to do with your home and healthy living, tap the link to find more helpful information.