26 Tips to Keep Air Clean and Reduce Dust at Home

Live Well With These Healthy Home Tips

A healthy home means a healthy you. 

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American spends approximately 90 percent of their life indoors, potentially exposing themselves to a variety of indoor air pollutants and home health hazards. Without proper care and routine home maintenance, your family could fall victim to a number of health concerns. 

Learn how to keep your family safe and sound with our extensive list of healthy home tips. 

1. How to Keep Air Clean at Home

Breathing clean air is essential to your health. From pesticides and household products to dust particles and secondhand smoke, the air in your home can contain a lot of irritants. Here’s how you can improve your home air quality and prevent air hazards.

Dos

1. Install air filters throughout your home.

2. Increase home ventilation to reduce combustion pollutants.

3. Introduce houseplants to your space to naturally purify indoor air.

4. Paint with low or no volatile organic compound (VOC) paint.

5. Install a carbon monoxide detector.

6. Groom pets regularly to reduce pet dander.

7. Have your chimney inspected at least once a year.

8. Use chemical-free or natural cleaning products.

9. Use nonchemical methods of pest control instead of pesticides.

10. Purchase a home air quality test kit and a radon test kit.

Don'ts

11. Do not purchase products containing formaldehyde.

12. Avoid synthetic air fresheners.

13. Avoid smoking tobacco products indoors.

14. Limit the number of household chemicals and toxins in your home.

 

2. How to Reduce Dust

Allergy and asthma sufferers know dust as their worst enemy. Made up of everything from plant pollen to dead skin cells, dust is simultaneously the most disgusting and most common irritant in your home. Follow these steps to create a healthier home free of dust and allergens. 

15. Wash sheets and pillow cases once a week.

16. Vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter.

17. Replace carpeting with hardwood, tile or linoleum.

18. Use a damp cloth to wipe down surfaces instead of feather dusters .

19. Change furnace filters regularly.

20. Keep clutter from the floor, the closet and hard surfaces.

21. Clean regularly from top to bottom.
 

 

3. How to Keep Moisture Under Control

Excess moisture can invite mold, insects, rodents and dust mites into your home, bringing a variety of health concerns with them. For instance, contact with mold spores can cause many symptoms, including rash, watery eyes, coughing, itchy eyes and more. Rodents can carry a number of viruses and diseases, causing danger to your home and your health. 

22. Use exhaust fans in the bathroom while showering and in the kitchen when cooking.

23. Make sure that your clothes dryer is properly ventilated to the outside. 

24. Insulate windows, doors and attics.

25. Fix leaking faucets, pipes and showerheads.

26. Waterproof your basement and consider installing a dehumidifier.

 

Some of these tasks might be easier to tackle than others, but all of them will help you and your family breathe easier.

What steps do you take to keep your home healthy? Let us know in the comments below.