6 Important Ways To Improve Air Quality In A Green Home

A green home is not only efficient in terms of energy costs and emissions but is also quite satisfactory to live in. Nonetheless, the trends in custom home designs focus a lot on sealing all energy outlets and reducing emissions, sometimes at the expense of airflow. Of course, you don’t have to make any radical changes to your home design to improve the air quality. A few simple fixes are enough.

Avoid Smoking While Indoors

In addition to reduced energy costs, another pillar of green home construction is healthy living. You want to avoid pollution and toxic emissions as much as possible both for you and the environment’s sakes. Tobacco smoke is one of the most harmful air pollutants there is as it’s known to contain more than 2000 toxic compounds, including formaldehyde. Cigarette smoke can cause diseases such as cancer, pneumonia, asthma, and other respiratory infections. Even worse, green homes are usually highly insulated, and if you smoke regularly, the smoke will always be in the indoor atmosphere. So, avoid smoking indoors at all costs.

Use Eco-Friendly Cleaners

When you decide to consider how to go green at home, make it absolute. One of the things that you should change is the chemicals and items you use to clean your house. Most people use abrasive cleansers like powerful detergents, powder, and scrubbers. Most brands of cleaning products in the market emit some chemicals into the air which can affect the air quality and increase your chances of acquiring respiratory diseases as well. To prevent this, stick to natural, non-chemical cleaning solutions such as lemons, plant-based soap, cooking oils such as olive and sunflower oils. Not only are they safer and better for your air quality, but are way much cheaper than artificial products.

Go Green at Home With All Green House Items

As mentioned in the point above, it is counterproductive to live in a green home if you’re not committed to going entirely green in your living habits. To start with, avoid items made from imperishable materials like plastic and nylon as they sometimes emit dangerous gases. Instead, invest in things that are made from recycled materials and that are eco-certified. Examples include eco-friendly fans, recycled toilet paper, biodegradable waste bags, and reusable coffee cups. And while it’s necessary to keep your family warm during the winter, wool jackets and reusable hand warmers are better than entirely relying on the AC. Matter of fact, a reusable hand warmer is the best hand warmer to have, and they’re also quite cheap.

Get Rid of Synthetic Rugs and Carpets

Most modern carpets and rugs are made from synthetic fibers such as nylon, polyester, and polypropylene which makes it easy for dust, dander, mites and other forms of bacteria to attach themselves. If you look under your carpet, chances are you’ll find some dust or dirt, and the longer you stay without cleaning, the more this dirt will be collected. Consequences of carpet dust include allergic reactions and dusty indoor atmosphere. As such, get rid of your synthetic carpets and rugs and instead use eco-friendly mats made from materials like sisal and wool.

Design Your Green Home to Keep Out Water Vapor

Water vapor is always present in the atmosphere and has some great benefits. However, an unchecked buildup of water vapor within your home can adversely affect your air quality. More so when it mixes with the dust, hair, dander, and saliva particles also present in the atmosphere. Make some green home improvements such as using vapor barriers as well as ensuring that your house is equipped with the best building ventilation equipment.

Bring in Some Indoor Plants

Plants are inherently natural purifiers, taking in unnecessary gases and letting out oxygen. As such, they should be a feature of your green home care routines. Options include aloe plant and peace lily, both of which are known as great air purifiers and work well to filter out harmful compounds like benzene and formaldehyde from the air.

Conclusion

I love my green home, which has been my abode for a decade now. However, the indoor air quality was not that great at first, and I often found regularly myself going outside for breathers anytime I was staying at home. These easy, cheap, and effective tips helped to improve the air quality at my place, and I do hope they’ll help you with yours too. Share your thoughts in the comments.