When summertime heats things up in the home, it can be quite the challenge keeping your indoor air clean while conserving on your energy bill.
One of the biggest challenges with indoor living is keeping toxins out of the air. When we spray hairspray and cleaning products and run the dishwasher, we’re constantly releasing toxic chemicals in the air that continuously get recycled through our airtight houses. Homes built after 1980 are especially air tight to keep the cold or hot air locked in our houses. This great benefit has an often-overlooked downside. The air in our homes is constantly recycled without being refreshed.
The EPA has given great attention to indoor air pollution. It says that it is the leading environmental health concern of the United States. Indoor air is typically up to five times more polluted than outside air.
One of the most effective ways to clean out the air in your house and save on energy in the summer months is to sleep with the windows open at night. In many parts of the country, nighttime temperatures drop down into the 70s and even 60s. This allows comfortable sleep during the night without running the air conditioner. This also allows fresh air to whisk through the house and drive out stale and polluted air. When it’s too hot to sleep all night with the windows open, you can simply open your windows and doors for one hour late at night or early in the morning when it isn’t too hot.
Another great way to purify the air in your home is by adding plants. We all know that plants are the earth’s natural purification system, so why not use the tools nature has provided? Incorporating plants in every room of your house will help filter your air while drawing nature indoors.
If you want to save money and energy, you need to change your air filter once a month. Pick one day each month as your “new air filter day.” During the summer months, many air conditioners run continuously throughout the day, so be sure to check your air filter every two weeks in the summer just to be safe.
By changing out your air filter, you are also making your home safer for you and your family. A new air filter has the ability to clear the air of allergens, dust, dander and other small particles. If your family is like mine, allergies are always crouching at our door, so we need to avoid any unwanted particles floating around our house. For those with severe allergies or asthma, it is highly recommended to buy a more expensive and efficient air filter that will be more effective at ridding your home of allergens.
Sometimes you may need to be a bit OCD when it comes to changing your air filter because of the benefit it has on your family, your environment and your electric bill. Ditch your fake, plastic plants and replace them with live plants that add life and air purification to your home. Of course, they require watering, but that’s nothing compared to their benefit. Try to air your house out daily to get some fresh air and rid your home of stale, recycled air. Incorporate these tips into your family routine for a better protected, cleaner and more efficient home. When summertime heats things up in the home, it can be quite the challenge keeping your indoor air clean while conserving on your energy bill.
One of the biggest challenges with indoor living is keeping toxins out of the air. When we spray hairspray and cleaning products and run the dishwasher, we’re constantly releasing toxic chemicals in the air that continuously get recycled through our airtight houses. Homes built after 1980 are especially air tight to keep the cold or hot air locked in our houses. This great benefit has an often-overlooked downside. The air in our homes is constantly recycled without being refreshed.
The EPA has given great attention to indoor air pollution. It says that it is the leading environmental health concern of the United States. Indoor air is typically up to five times more polluted than outside air.
One of the most effective ways to clean out the air in your house and save on energy in the summer months is to sleep with the windows open at night. In many parts of the country, nighttime temperatures drop down into the 70s and even 60s. This allows comfortable sleep during the night without running the air conditioner. This also allows fresh air to whisk through the house and drive out stale and polluted air. When it’s too hot to sleep all night with the windows open, you can simply open your windows and doors for one hour late at night or early in the morning when it isn’t too hot.
Another great way to purify the air in your home is by adding plants. We all know that plants are the earth’s natural purification system, so why not use the tools nature has provided? Incorporating plants in every room of your house will help filter your air while drawing nature indoors.
If you want to save money and energy, you need to change your air filter once a month. Pick one day each month as your “new air filter day.” During the summer months, many air conditioners run continuously throughout the day, so be sure to check your air filter every two weeks in the summer just to be safe.
By changing out your air filter, you are also making your home safer for you and your family. A new air filter has the ability to clear the air of allergens, dust, dander and other small particles. If your family is like mine, allergies are always crouching at our door, so we need to avoid any unwanted particles floating around our house. For those with severe allergies or asthma, it is highly recommended to buy a more expensive and efficient air filter that will be more effective at ridding your home of allergens.
Sometimes you may need to be a bit OCD when it comes to changing your air filter because of the benefit it has on your family, your environment and your electric bill. Ditch your fake, plastic plants and replace them with live plants that add life and air purification to your home. Of course, they require watering, but that’s nothing compared to their benefit. Try to air your house out daily to get some fresh air and rid your home of stale, recycled air. Incorporate these tips into your family routine for a better protected, cleaner and more efficient home. 