While spring brings warmer weather, it also means the return of dust, pollen, dander and other allergens. So, you’ll need to keep the air inside your home safe and breathable. Solutions range from letting fresh air in or using indoor plants to using HVAC equipment like purifiers or multi-zone 18,000 BTU mini split. Follow these tips to manage your indoor air quality this spring.
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- Open Windows Regularly
Opening a window is one of the simplest solutions to bring fresh air into your home. The most effective time to open your windows and air out the house is typically in the morning on a dry and sunny day. Morning air usually has a lower pollen count than later in the day, ensuring your home gets ventilation without letting in pollutants or allergens.
Lower temperatures naturally help keep your home cooler, helping you save energy and reduce your reliance on your home’s HVAC system. If the conditions outside are dry, opening a window flushes stale and humid air, letting in cleaner, fresher air and preventing mold and mildew growth.
- Use Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans, such as the models by Big Ass Fans, are a cost-effective solution to improve indoor airflow and air quality. They are available in various sizes and styles, which you can match with your interior décor.
Ceiling fans help with air temperature in two ways. Depending on their rotational direction, they can create air circulation up or down. When the fans spin clockwise, they pull air up, spreading warmth. When set to spin counter-clockwise, the ceiling fan pushes cool air down, creating a pleasant breeze.
Regardless of the fan’s spin direction, ceiling fans help ensure the air inside your room doesn’t stagnate. They also prevent dust from settling on the surfaces in your home, helping reduce the risk of allergies. Ceiling fans are also easier to maintain and consume less energy than a traditional HVAC unit, making them a cost-effective home air-quality tool.
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- Regularly Replace HVAC Filters
All HVAC systems, from traditional central air conditioning units to modern systems like MRCOOL DIY mini-split, rely on filters to preserve indoor air quality. HVAC air filters trap particles, such as dust, pollen or dander, before reaching your home’s interior.
Over time, these filters will clog with trapped dust and pollutants, making the HVAC system less effective and use more energy. Regularly replacing your filters saves money, avoids unnecessary energy consumption and ensures none of these pollutants are recirculated back into your home.
Consult your HVAC system’s user manual or documentation and check how often the manufacturer recommends changing air filters — for example, MR.COOL recommends changing mini-split filters according to your usage habits, at least once every three months or once every two weeks if you use your unit frequently.
- Use Air Purifiers
Air purifiers are a convenient, easy, and cost-effective solution to improve your home’s indoor air quality. They use filters to attract and trap fine particles and contaminants, from dust and dander to cigarette smoke and odors. Many also use ultraviolet (UV) light to remove bacteria, viruses, mold spores and other disease carriers.
Air purifiers can be especially beneficial in the rooms you use the most, such as bedrooms or the living room, helping keep your living spaces clean and livable.
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- Incorporate Indoor Plants
Adding indoor plants to your interior décor can do more than improve the looks and give it a more natural feel; it is also a common method to improve air quality. Many species of indoor plants are popular for their air purification properties, such as those researched by NASA and included in the 1989 NASA Clean Air Study. They include spider plants, bamboo palms, English ivy, dragon trees, Gerbera daisies, Chinese evergreens, Marginata and corn plants.
The right indoor plants can remove common toxins such as benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene and ammonia. They can also help remove unpleasant odors and, like all plants, absorb ambient carbon dioxide, contributing to bringing purer and fresher air.
- Use Exhaust Fans
Certain areas in your home, such as the bathroom, kitchen or garage, can attract and hold higher levels of humidity, odors and airborne contaminants than others. For example, the kitchen may contain carbon monoxide, cooking odors and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
One solution to keeping these environments safe is to use exhaust fans. They are wall or ceiling-mounted fans that pull in indoor air and redirect it outside. The fans also remove smoke, odors, fumes and other contaminants. Exhaust fans can also help reduce humidity levels, keeping the air fresh and preventing the formation of mold and mildew.
- Seal Leaks and Drafts
While using the right equipment can help improve or maintain airflow and quality in your home, the effectiveness of these solutions depends on how well-sealed your home is. Leaks and drafts around your doors, windows and other openings allow indoor air to leak out and outdoor air to seep in freely. These leaks can introduce a wide range of issues: less efficient heating or cooling, higher indoor humidity levels and pollutants bypassing your HVAC filters and entering your home.
Regularly inspect your home for signs of leaks around the windows, doors, HVAC ductwork, basement and attic. Finding and fixing the leaks as soon as you see them will help preserve indoor air quality.
Enjoy Better Indoor Air Quality This Spring
Improving and maintaining the quality of your home’s indoor air doesn’t have to be complicated. Each of these tips is easy to do regularly and implement in your everyday home cleaning and maintenance schedule.
Many of these solutions can also enhance your home’s aesthetics, such as matching the right ceiling fan with your living room’s interior or improving the feel of a bedroom with an indoor plant. Take advantage of these solutions to lower humidity, keep pollen and mold out of your home and enjoy clean, fresh and healthy indoor air this spring.
