1. Increase ventilation
Regularly opening windows and doors allows fresh air to flow in while stale air flows out. Additionally, ensuring your home's air ducts and vents are clean and unblocked improves air circulation. Allowing ample fresh air into your living spaces reduces indoor pollutants.
2. Add indoor plants
Certain houseplants naturally filter chemicals and toxins from the air. For example, peace lilies and snake plants absorb benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene. Plus, many plants add oxygen and pleasant scents to your home. Essentially, bringing nature indoors purifies the air you breathe daily.
3. Use natural air fresheners
While some air fresheners make your home smell nice, they contain harsh chemicals that reduce air quality. Instead, try natural options like essential oils and fragrant plants. In short, you can make your home smell fresh without the nasty side effects of chemicals.
4. Invest in an air purifier
High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purifiers capture allergens, mold, chemicals and more as they circulate your air. An air purifier with a robust motor and tightly-sealed construction works best to trap indoor pollutants. Properly sized purifiers can greatly improve the air in individual rooms or your whole home.
5. Clean regularly
Dusting, vacuuming, mopping floors and changing out rugs, carpets, and bedding eliminate allergens and odors. Frequently cleaning the kitchen, bathrooms and any pet messes also reduces indoor contaminants. Basically, a clean home means better indoor air quality.
6. Leave shoes at the door
The dirt, germs and smells that shoes track in can significantly worsen indoor air. Having indoor-only slippers or going barefoot inside helps keep floors cleaner. Ultimately, this simple habit limits how much outdoor grime gets inside your home.
7. Use low-VOC paint
Certain oil-based paints emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that pollute indoor air. Low- and no-VOC paint options are much healthier for home use. Moreover, proper ventilation while painting and after it dries prevents heavy exposure to paint fumes.