How To Keep Air Clean At Home

Did you know the quality of the air you breathe can have a big impact on your health? With the coronavirus lockdown now in place, many of us are spending most of our time indoors at home.

This makes it especially important that we keep the indoor air quality in our houses fresh, clean and most importantly, safe and healthy. Here are some tips for how to keep air clean at home during this health crisis.

How To Keep Your Home Air Clean

#1 Run Your Air Con

Unsure on how to clean your air in your home? Here’s the best place to start.

Your humble aircon can be your humble defense against allergens in the air throughout the lockdown period. The catch? You need to keep it clean.

Air conditioners clean indoor allergens, dust, and pollen from the air that you breathe — but only if the air filters are working properly. To keep your home’s indoor air quality as clean as possible, we recommend:

• Changing your air filter regularly – First, discover what kind of air con system you have. What are the manufacturer’s recommendations on changing your filters? Typically, disposable filters should be replaced every 1 to 3 months. A thicker, high-efficiency filter should be changed once every 6 to 12 months. As a general rule of thumb, the more frequently you change them, the better. Doing this simple task will enhance your indoor air quality and help keep nasty air particles and asthma triggers at bay while you’re in lockdown.
• Keeping an eye on your air con’s health – As soon as you notice drips or leaks, get them fixed. A poor-performing air con will cost you more money, but a high-performing one can keep your home healthy while everyone is cloistered indoors.

#2 Invest In The Best Indoor Plants For Air Quality

Indoor houseplants can help improve indoor air quality, plus lift morale if you feel stuck inside. Plan to have at least one plant per 100 square feet of your home to help counter the impact of indoor air pollution and create a more comfortable atmosphere for a family member with respiratory issues.

The best indoor plants for air quality include plants like spider plants and peace lilies, which can help reduce benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and xylene in the atmosphere. Remember to clean your plants’ leaves regularly.

#3 Buy An Essential Oil Diffuser

Did you know that essential oils like tea tree oil – renowned for their antibacterial properties – can help reduce airborne bacteria? There’s also evidence that essential oils like eucalyptus, clove and rosemary can help eliminate the dust mites in your home. Cinnamon, oregano, rosemary, thyme, grapefruit lemon, clove and tea tree are powerful against bacteria and even mould. Using an essential oil diffuser is an easy way to get fresher, cleaner air

#4 Buy Beeswax Candles

Beeswax candles are a natural air purifier and a great alternative to store-bought air fresheners (which can contain harmful chemicals). If you love to fill your home with candles, avoid paraffin candles and instead opt for air-purifying beeswax candles.

A simple beeswax candle burns with almost no smoke and cleans the air by releasing negative ions. These bind to positive ions in the air, causing these particles to get heavier and fall to the ground. This effectively ionises and purifies your indoor air. Since beeswax candles burn slowly, you won’t need to replace them often. They are a godsend for asthmatics and can even help remove allergens like dust.

#5 Keep Your Pets Groomed

If you have pets, you’ll know that pet dander – your furry friend’s skin cells – is found nearly everywhere in a home with pets. Pet dander is often the culprit behind asthma-like symptoms. If you have a pet at home, you can help keep your home’s air clean by cleaning your pet regularly, brushing them outdoors, and vacuuming floors and furniture with a HEPA filter.

#6 Clean With Non Toxic Chemicals

If you’re spending lots of time in your home, you want to make sure your house offers a healthy and clean environment. Steer away from store-bought household cleaners (these can cause eye, nose, throat and lung irritation). Instead, pull out simple, affordable and greener cleaning products that no doubt your grandma was using in the old days. You’d be surprised at just how much you can clean with simple vinegar, baking soda or lemon juice.

#7 Remove Mould In Your Home

Aside from being unsightly, mould in your home can actually pollute your indoor air quality and make it a less pleasant place to live and breathe. Inhaling mould spores can actually inflame the airways and trigger allergy symptoms, nasal congestion and wheezing, as well as chest tightness, coughing and throat irritation.

Hunt down any mould that grows in dark, damp places like your bathroom, laundry room and basement. Kill the mould with simple products you can find in your pantry like baking soda, vinegar or tea tree oil. For more serious cases of mould, you might need to tackle it with hydrogen peroxide.

Stay safe, stay indoors and take care. Remember, staying at home is the very best thing you can do right now. Technicool Air Conditioning is here to help you stay healthy during the coronavirus. If you have any questions, please feel free to call our team on (07) 3276 1800 (Brisbane) or (07) 5477 1777 (Sunshine Coast).