Better Indoor Air Quality (Simple Steps)

BY MIKE HOLMES

The quality of the air we breathe impacts our bodies much more than we realize. We think about what we eat and what we drink – we’ve even started counting the number of steps with take in a day in order to improve our health.

But we don’t think enough about the quality of the air we’re breathing. We inhale 15,000 litres of air every day, which equals 20,000 breaths. But unless the air quality is obviously bad, we don’t really think about it.

In some cases, the quality of our air inside our home can be more polluted than the outside.

From volatile organic compounds (VOCs), radon, mold, formaldehyde, and more, there is a lot to think about when considering a healthy indoor air quality in your home.

Short of spending all our time outdoors, which let’s face it, most of us can’t do with our jobs or home life, we need to better manage our indoor lives. So here are a few things that you can do to really help improve the quality of the indoor air in your home STARTING TODAY:

1. Open your windows at least three to four times a day to allow the fresh air in and open your blinds to let the sun/natural light into your home. I recommend opening up your windows for at least 15 mins every day (even in the winter).
2. Keep bathroom doors closed and turn on the exhaust fan or open a window when you are showering – I usually set mine to run for 30 minutes after a shower
3. Turn the hood fan on when you’re cooking and open your windows
4. Don’t burn candles (or save them for those romantic occasions)
5. Clean regularly with environmentally friendly products and vacuum base boards and edges of walls
6. Clean your home fans and air ducts as least twice a year 
7. Use hypoallergenic air filters in your HVAC systems and air purifiers – and remember to check and change them often (at least every three months).
8. Check for mold. Mold can be frequently found in moisture heavy spaces like your kitchen, bathroom, basement but there are a lot of areas that mold can grow that you may not see like behind your walls. Start with a visual inspection on these common areas.

Learn more in The Ultimate Healthy Home podcast with Mike Holmes

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About Effect Homes and Holmes Approved Homes:

Effect Home Builders is a Mike Holmes approved builder and renovator. Being part of the Holmes Approved Homes program means each home built by Effect is inspected by Mike Holmes Inspections at various stages of construction. The result? Simply a better built home.