You spend much of your day indoors, and it's crucial that the air you breathe is as clean as possible. Our agents recommend taking the following steps to ensure the air within your home is as clean and healthy as possible.
1. Change the Filters
It takes just a few minutes to change the filters on your HVAC system, and it's well worth doing this every month or two. Further, be sure to invest in a high-quality HEPA filter. It will trap the smallest particles and is highly effective at keeping everything from pet dander to VOCs out of your indoor air stream. Changing the filters also helps improve HVAC system efficiency and reduces wear and tear, saving you money in the long run.
2. Go Green With Your Clean
Mopping the floor? Washing the windows? Cleaning the oven? Ditch the chemical cleaners. From cleaning toilets to vacuuming, many cleaning products on the store shelf are filled with harsh chemicals. These can accumulate within your home and significantly increase indoor air pollution. Instead, ditch chemical cleaners for all-natural alternatives to keep your air fresh and clean.
3. Add Some Green
Spider plants, ivy, and many other houseplants can help filter the air within your home. These plants will pull VOCs, chemicals, smoke, etc., from the air and keep them out of your lungs. Plus, they'll transform a dull and drab space to a bright, cheery room.
4. Clean the Ducts
Residential ducts don't get cleaned as often as they should. As a general rule, they should be vacuumed by a professional every two years. However, if you have pets in your home or have breathing conditions such as COPD, asthma, etc., it's a good idea to clean your ducts more frequently. This will help ensure that dust, debris, pet dander, smoke, and other particulate matter that settles into your ducts don't recirculate through your indoor air supply.
5. Open the Windows
A bit of fresh air blowing through your home is a fabulous way to blow out the debris and start fresh. Opening your windows when there's a gentle breeze will help replenish the air within your home with a fresh, clean supply.
6. Install Air Purifiers and UV Lights
Air purifiers and UV lights can be installed directly within your ductwork. These work together to block and trap particulate matter, viruses, bacteria, etc. Combined, the UV light neutralizes viruses and bacteria, thus rendering them non-infectious, and the air purifier traps them and makes it easy to remove them from the home.
7. Keep a Tidy Home
Make sure to bathe Fido regularly and stay on top of dusting, vacuuming, mopping, etc. Doing your best to keep the dust, dirt, debris, and dander from circulating within the home will make it easier for your air filters and other indoor air quality systems to keep your indoor air as clean as possible.
We'd love to help you enjoy a breath of fresh air in your new home. We encourage you to contact us for more about the Ridgewood homes for sale we recommend for enjoying cool breezes and fresh air every day of the year.
