6 Air Quality Improvement Tips For Apartment Dwellers

 

People spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, and sadly, it has been noted that indoor air might be more polluted than outdoor air. Poor indoor air quality may cause many illnesses. Air quality at home may be affected by how you cook food in the kitchen, your cleaning habits, the type of cleaning materials you utilize for chores, and your vices.

Each year, about 3.8 million people die globally from indoor air pollution. Many suffer from pneumonia, stroke, heart disease, asthma, COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer.

Indoor air may be polluted in various ways, and here's the list of things that could contaminate the air you breathe in your home:


  • biologic pollutants - bacteria, molds, viruses, pollen
  • carbon monoxide - emissions from cooking appliances, clogged fireplaces and heaters, tobacco smoke
  • VOCs or volatile organic compounds - artificial fragrances, aerosol sprays, cleaning and disinfecting agents
  • molds - inappropriate moisture levels indoors can encourage mold growth

In an apartment, air quality is quite challenging to control since an apartment complex shares ventilation systems, but there are still things you can do to improve the air quality of your apartment, so you can stay healthy. Here are some of them:

 

1. Reduce Humidity In Your Apartment

Humidity rises in a space when there's excess moisture in the air. There will be a growth of mold that may cause allergic reactions ranging from mild to severe when this happens. One may suffer from a stuffy nose, wheezing, red itchy eyes, skin rash, and fever. Those hypersensitive to molds may feel shortness of breath and contract chronic respiratory diseases like COPD.

Having a dehumidifier can significantly decrease moisture in the air and maintain an appropriate humidity level. The air quality will be improved in your apartment, and even your air conditioner will function better because of it. You'll also notice a remarkable improvement in indoor odor and there'll be no musty and stuffy smell in your living space. If you plan on getting a dehumidifier, check out this site.

Person in livingroom in front of a fireplace

 

2. Change AC Filters

For maximum efficiency, you should change your AC filters every 45 days. This is particularly important because AC filters trap dust, pollen, and all harmful things in the air so your AC can function efficiently. Not changing the filters can increase your electricity usage and make you breathe in polluted air.

 

3. Keep Rugs And Carpet Clean

Rugs and carpets can trap many pollutants and allergens like dust, dirt, pollen, hair, dead skin, and dander. When carpets get damp, most of these toxic pollutants can get buried deep and be challenging to remove. Harmful substances released in the air like VOCs can also accumulate on rugs and carpets, and when these aren't cleaned properly, you'll be exposing yourself to some serious health risks.

 

4. Place Indoor Plants

Plants won't just improve the aesthetics of your apartment, but choosing specific plants can help purify the air. Carcinogenic chemicals like formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene found in stagnant indoor environments can be removed by air-purifying plants. Some examples of air-purifying plants are Boston fern, dragon tree, rubber plant, bamboo palm, and peace lily.

These plants can bring life to your living space, but aside from that, they have numerous health benefits such as:


  • improving your mood
  • boosting healing and pain tolerance
  • reducing fatigue
  • lowering stress and anxiety
  • improving focus and concentration

 

5. Refrain From Smoking Indoors

Person smoking

Tobacco smoking won't just make a room smell bad, but even secondhand smoke inhalation will expose you to infections and diseases like tuberculosis.

Smoking indoors, especially in a small space like an apartment with limited ventilation, is a very thoughtless thing to do, more so if you have kids in the house. Tobacco fumes can linger in the air and get trapped on clothing, walls, carpets, surfaces, and curtains, which are now called thirdhand smoke. Even if you take it outside, the smoke can still pass through tiny gaps and affect people living in your home.

People exposed to secondhand and thirdhand smoke, especially children, can be at risk of coughs, colds, chest infections, and ear problems. So, it's better if you stop smoking altogether, for yourself and the people around you.

 

6. Use Eco-Friendly And Toxic-Free Cleaning Agents

Many people concerned with the hazardous effects of toxic substances on humans and the environment found a way to create natural and toxic-free cleaning agents.

For cleaning your apartment, you may choose to utilize these kinds of safe cleaning materials to maintain the good air quality in your apartment and at the same time not add to the harmful things that deteriorate the planet.

 

Conclusion

Breathing clean air is a basic necessity and human right. Unfortunately, the planet has made so many strides in advancement at the expense of so many things, including the air that you breathe.

Good thing, this advancement also gave us revolutionary products that could correct many challenges the planet faces, including tools and equipment like a dehumidifier to improve the air you breathe.