Good indoor air quality is vital for health and well-being. It directly impacts our breathing, sleep, and overall quality of life. Since many of us spend most of our time indoors, it is essential to ensure that our home environment provides the cleanest and freshest air possible. This article presents 15 practical tips to improve the indoor air quality of your home and ensure a healthy living environment for you and your family.
At the same time, it is important to recognize that not all beliefs and tips about improving indoor air quality are equally useful or effective. For this reason, we have also compiled the 10 most common myths about air quality improvement that do not work, so you can avoid unnecessary and potentially harmful solutions.
15 vinkkiä mitä tehdä sisäilman parantamiseksi
1. Keep Ventilation Always On: Ensure that your ventilation system is running continuously, whether you have exhaust-only ventilation or both supply and exhaust ventilation. If your property relies on natural ventilation, you can order the installation of draft enhancers, which can passively boost ventilation. If you have an exhaust-only system, make sure there is enough replacement air, i.e., fresh outdoor air, flowing into the spaces through frame vents or wall vents.
2. Ensure Free Airflow Within the Property: Typically, there is a 15-20 mm gap under the interior doors to allow air to flow from clean areas to moist areas. Sometimes during renovations, the importance of these door gaps is overlooked when doors are replaced. Make sure air can flow freely inside your home. If you don’t have door gaps or transfer air vents, contact the professionals at IVAeris Oy.
3. Remove Dust and Replace Filters: Vacuum and dust regularly. Use a vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter to capture even the smallest dust particles. The filters in the ventilation system should be replaced at least every six months. If there is no supply-exhaust system in the property, check and replace the filters in the fresh air vents when they become dirty. Also, remember to have the ventilation ducts cleaned regularly by a professional.
4. Control Indoor Humidity: Keep indoor humidity between 30-50%. Use a humidifier or dehumidifier if necessary. Heat recovery ventilation (HRV) usually takes care of excessive moisture removal and prevents mold growth. Ensure that the ventilation ducts and systems are clean to prevent moisture buildup and related issues.
5. Avoid Smoking and Reduce the Use of Candles and Incense: Do not allow smoking indoors, as it significantly deteriorates air quality. Tobacco smoke contains many harmful substances that can cause health problems. Burning candles and incense also increases indoor air pollutants and can potentially cause allergic reactions or respiratory issues.
6. Käytä hillitysti hajusteita ja vältä voimakkaita kemikaaleja: Vältä voimakkaiden kemikaalien ja hajusteiden käyttöä. Valitse mieluummin luonnollisia ja vähäpäästöisiä tuotteita. Voimakkaat kemikaalit ja hajusteet voivat heikentää ilmanlaatua ja aiheuttaa oireita herkille henkilöille. Käytä siivouksessa ympäristöystävällisiä tuotteita ja vältä aerosolien käyttöä, sillä ne voivat vapauttaa ilmaan haitallisia yhdisteitä.
7. Use Fragrances Sparingly and Avoid Strong Chemicals: Avoid using strong chemicals and fragrances. Choose natural and low-emission products instead. Strong chemicals and fragrances can degrade air quality and cause symptoms in sensitive individuals. Use environmentally friendly cleaning products and avoid aerosols, as they can release harmful compounds into the air.
8. Käytä liesituuletinta ruoanlaiton yhteydessä ja tehosta ilmanvaihtoa saunomisen aikana: Käytä liesituuletinta aina ruoanlaiton yhteydessä, jotta kosteus ja rasva eivät kerry keittiön pintoihin. Pidä liesituulettimen tai kuvun suodatin puhtaana pesemällä se astianpesukoneessa säännöllisesti. Saunomisen aikana laita ilmanvaihdon tehostus päälle ja anna saunan kuivua hyvin käytön jälkeen, jotta vältetään kosteuden aiheuttamat vauriot. 9. Groom Pets and Use an Air Purifier: Consider using an air purifier, especially if the property lacks supply-exhaust ventilation and there are allergy sufferers or pets in the family. We recommend LifaAir’s award-winning devices, which feature patented filtration systems that remove 99.99% of harmful particles and other impurities from indoor air. Brush and wash pets regularly to reduce hair and dander in the air. Brushing helps remove loose fur and dander before they spread indoors. Regular washing keeps the pet’s skin and coat clean, reducing allergens in the home.
10. Clean Cooling Units and Humidifiers Regularly: Excessive indoor humidity can promote the growth of mold and dust mites. Air conditioning units accumulate a lot of condensation, and it is common for the internal parts to become moldy. Therefore, they must be cleaned regularly to prevent the spread of mold spores. It is important to maintain balanced humidity levels, typically between 30-50%. This ensures that the indoor air remains healthy and comfortable.
11. Prevent Mold Issues and Use a Water Leak Detector: Plan and execute any necessary sealing and repair work with ventilation and moisture control in mind. Fix any water leaks and keep damp areas, such as basements, dry. Prevent problems by detecting water leaks early by placing water leak detectors in high-risk areas like the kitchen, laundry room, bathroom, or basement. If you suspect a mold issue, order an indoor air quality investigation promptly before microbial growth spreads uncontrollably. Regular inspections and maintenance help keep the building’s structures dry and the ventilation functioning properly.
12. Don’t Neglect Ventilation Maintenance and Inspections: Ensure that the ventilation system’s handover documents include drawings, maintenance instructions, and an air balance report. Familiarize yourself with the maintenance instructions for your ventilation system and perform the required maintenance tasks. Clean the ventilation vents when they are noticeably dirty, but do not alter their settings. The vents and diffusers have been precisely adjusted by professionals to within a millimeter, so opening or closing them yourself can disrupt and damage the entire building’s ventilation. If you suspect that the settings are off, contact the professionals at IVAeris Oy to perform ventilation measurement and adjustment.
13. Ensure that Duct Cleaning is Done at Least Once Every Five Years: Hire a professional to clean the ventilation ducts at least every five years. During this process, the professional will also check the efficiency of the mechanical ventilation system and perform any necessary maintenance. Clean ventilation ducts improve indoor air quality and can also reduce energy consumption.
14. Consider the Choice of Electrical Appliances and Home Materials: Use electrical appliances that do not produce excessive heat or pollutants. For example, modern LED lights are better than old incandescent bulbs. Choose M1-rated products, paints, furniture, and building materials. The M1 rating is a Finnish indoor air classification that defines the emission classifications of building materials, furniture, and paints to improve indoor air quality. The M1 classification is the highest, meaning the product is very low-emission and suitable for use in spaces where high indoor air quality is required. This classification is part of the building materials emission classification system managed by the Building Information Foundation (RTS).
15. Monitor Air Quality and Radon Levels: Use an air quality monitor to track the air quality in your home and take necessary actions to improve it. High carbon dioxide levels can cause fatigue, headaches, and a feeling of sluggishness. Ensure adequate ventilation, especially in bedrooms and areas where people spend a lot of time. Monitoring radon levels is also important, as radon is a harmful gas that can accumulate indoors and pose health risks.
10 Myths About Improving Indoor Air Quality That Don’t Work
1. Do air fresheners improve air quality? Air fresheners can mask odors, but they do not remove air impurities. Many air fresheners contain chemicals that can actually worsen air quality and cause allergic reactions. A better option is to improve ventilation and eliminate the sources of odors.
2. Do plants purify air effectively? Plants have many benefits, but they alone are not sufficient to significantly improve the air quality in your home. Studies show that improving indoor air quality requires much more than just plants. For example, thousands of liters of sea-growing algae would be needed to keep air quality within healthy limits in a 9 square meter room. While plants can absorb some air pollutants, their effect is usually too minimal to significantly improve air quality in an average home. Additionally, plants can introduce mold spores and moisture into the indoor air, which can be harmful.
3. Is opening vents or windows sufficient for ventilation? Opening a window can help temporarily, but it does not address the root causes of indoor air quality issues. In the worst case, outdoor pollutants can enter and further degrade air quality. The same applies to manually adjusting vents. Vents and diffusers are professionally calibrated to precise measurements, so opening or closing them yourself can disrupt and ruin the entire building’s ventilation system.
4. Do candles and incense improve indoor air quality? Burning candles, especially scented ones, releases soot particles and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into the air, which can degrade air quality and be harmful to health. Inhaling these compounds can cause various health issues, such as respiratory symptoms and allergic reactions.
5. Does the right cleaning product remove all impurities? While regular cleaning is important, not all cleaning products are safe. Many commercial cleaning products contain chemicals that can evaporate into the air and degrade air quality. Instead, use environmentally friendly and low-emission products that do not contain harmful chemicals, thereby improving your home’s air quality.
6. Are humidifiers and cooling units always beneficial? Humidifiers can help in dry air, but excessively humid indoor air can promote the growth of mold and dust mites. Air conditioning units accumulate a lot of condensation, and it’s common for their internal parts to become moldy, so they need to be cleaned regularly to prevent the spread of mold spores. It’s important to maintain balanced humidity levels, typically between 30-50%.
7. Are vacuums without HEPA filters sufficient? Regular vacuums without HEPA filters can release small particles back into the air, worsening indoor air quality. HEPA filters are more effective at removing the smallest particles and can significantly improve indoor air quality, especially for allergy sufferers and asthmatics.
8. Do ventilation systems require maintenance? Ventilation systems require regular maintenance and cleaning to operate efficiently. Dirty filters and ducts can significantly degrade air quality. Regular maintenance and cleaning ensure that the system functions optimally and improves indoor air quality, which is essential for health and well-being.
9. Is smoking under the window or blowing it into the fireplace okay? Tobacco smoke can easily enter through windows and spread throughout the house, even if you try to blow it out through the fireplace. Regardless of whether the smoke is strong or barely noticeable, any smoke that enters the indoor air significantly degrades air quality. Smoking should not be allowed anywhere near residential buildings.
10. Does a fan keep indoor air pleasant and good? A regular fan only circulates air and does not remove impurities, even though it can feel helpful during hot summer days. Using a fan is fine, but it does not improve indoor air quality. If there are already impurities in the indoor air, the fan can even spread dust and allergens around the room.
Improving indoor air quality requires a systematic approach and the right actions. It’s important to distinguish between tips and myths to make the right decisions and avoid unnecessary and potentially harmful measures. Maintaining good indoor air quality at home involves regular maintenance of the ventilation system, using high-quality filters, and adopting healthy cleaning habits.
By following practical tips and avoiding common myths, you can significantly improve the air quality in your home. This not only promotes health and well-being but also enhances the overall comfort of your home. Good indoor air quality is key to a healthy and happy life, so take care of your home and its air quality with diligence and expertise.
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