15 Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality Now

In our Introduction to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) post, we shared some of the many factors that can affect the air you breathe every day. While the list of potential toxins may be daunting, there are happily many steps you can start taking today to improve your indoor air. Here are our top 15.

1. Remove your shoes when entering your home! Dirt, pesticides, and other chemicals can be brought into your home this way. Keep a durable floor mat outside your front door and wipe your shoes well before entering.
   • Best practice: Make your home a shoeless zone!
2. Use a HEPA-filter vacuum cleaner when cleaning carpets and floors (Consumer Reports has a good top five list here). HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air, and describes air filters that remove 99.97% of particles that have a size of 0.3 µm or larger. Keeping in mind that children and pets are closer to the floor and have less robust respiratory systems, this is a critical component of improving indoor air quality.
   • Best practice: When vacuuming, it is best to go in all directions (not just side-to-side), and take your time and make multiple passes over the same area. Afterwards, mop floors with plain water or a very gentle natural cleanser. This will pick up any residual dust.
3. Ditch the dryer sheets! Dryer sheets and similar scented products contain artificial fragrances that have often not been tested for biological effects, but there is significant anecdotal evidence that they can be toxic.
   • Best practice: Use fragrance-free products. If you do choose fragranced products, make sure they’re scented naturally, with plant parts, essential oils, etc.
4. Maintain the appropriate level of humidity. If your indoor humidity is too high, it can lead to condensation and mould growth. Too low, it can encourage an accumulation of dust mites and other inhalable particulates.
   • Best practice: 35-55% relative humidity (RH) helps keep these allergens under control. Use a dehumidifier when necessary. Use exhaust fans when cooking, and open windows periodically to clear out stale air.
5. Unmake your bed in the morning. Counterintuitively, it’s best to fully open and shake out your bedding in the mornings and let them air dry. This helps control the growth of dust mites. Opening a window and exposing your bed and bedding to sunlight is also effective.
   • Best practice: Wash your sheets every week at a minimum of 60°C to kill bacteria. Dry in sunlight when possible as the UV light helps kill microorganisms. Finally, you can iron your pillows and sheets to kill any leftover bacteria.
6. Fresh air every day! Turn off your HVAC or other air system occasionally and open your windows, letting fresh air flow throughout the home.
   • Best practice: If you have a whole house fan, open your windows and let it run once a day, especially in winter when your house is buttoned up tight and you’re running your HVAC continuously.
7. Make your home a no-smoking zone.
   • Best practice: Don’t smoke, and don’t allow anyone else to in your home.
8. If you haven’t yet done so, test for radon. Radon is a colourless, odourless carcinogen that can seep through your foundation and accumulate in your basement. Testing is not expensive, usually under $100.
   • Best practice: Visit Health Canada’s site on radon here. There’s tons of good information and links.
9. Choose plants that cleanse the air. A Boston fern can remove pollutants such as xylene and benzene, while others, such as palm trees, are good at removing formaldehyde. We’ll be covering this in-depth in the future.
   • Best practice: When choosing plants, research potential toxicity to pets first, and pay attention to their lighting needs when choosing locations.
10. Clean filters regularly. Whether it’s for your HVAC, vacuum cleaner, or dehumidifier, make sure you’re using the correct filter, keeping it clean, and replacing it according to manufacturer instructions.
    • Best practice: Visit Consumer Reports’ air filter buying guide for a good primer on choosing the right product.
11. Use clean cleaning products. According to Health Canada, “Household chemical products are among the top products responsible for injuries and deaths in children under the age of five years.” There is almost never any need to use harsh chemicals to clean your home.
    • Best practice: If you can’t identify or pronounce an ingredient, it’s best to steer clear. While there are many sites online that can teach you how to make your own cleaning products using easily available items like baking soda and vinegar, there are plenty of retail options available, including Ecover and Seventh Generation.
12. Buy paint with the lowest VOC content possible. Volatile Organic Compounds are emitted as gases from many items, including new carpeting and paint and is responsible for that new-car smell. VOCs can be highly toxic.
    • Best practice: Keep in mind that for a product to be labeled “no-VOC”, it can still contain small amounts that can cause breathing problems, especially in asthmatics and others with respiratory problems. Look for true no-VOC paints.
13. If your garage is attached make sure you have a tight air seal in the shared wall and any door openings to your home.
    • Best practice: Don’t store paints, fertilizers, or chemicals in your garage. Keep them in a small shed or other unattached structure. Also, never idle your car in the garage.
14. Dust, dust, dust.
    • Best practice: When finished dusting, follow up with a wipe down or mop-up using a lightly damp cloth or mop. Plain water is fine.
15. When buying new furniture, fixtures, or carpets, increase the indoor-outdoor exchange of air as often as you can in order to move the off-gassed VOCs out of the home as soon as possible.
    • Best practice: The best way to safely off-gas furniture or other items is to put them in a separate room (or garage) before use and frequently open the window. Use a quality air cleaner, when possible, and choose natural fabrics, especially for carpeting.

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