From Guest Blogger Brooke Chaplan: Ideas for the Indoors–How to Create More Fresh Air at Home

Keeping the air fresh inside your home is a great way to improve your health along with making each room more welcoming. This can be especially important during the winter or if you suffer from allergies or asthma.

Lush Houseplants

A beautiful way to keep your home fresh and air circulating is with lush houseplants that help to remove carbon dioxide. These same plants emit oxygen, making your home more pleasant to live in. Plants with numerous green leaves, like peace lilies, are considered the best houseplants to have in every room of your home.

Remove Clutter
Clutter can lead to more indoor pollution because of the gases produced. Stacks of newspaper, piles of clothing, and cardboard boxes all lead to poor air quality. Excess items in a home also collect dust that continues to filter through the air. Make sure you stay organized and take time each week to pick up and store extra items away.

Use Natural Products
Rather than using vinyl or plastic covered furniture, select natural fibers such as cotton. For additional protection, choose organic fibers that were not grown with pesticides, or manufactured with chemicals.

Maintain Home Heating Equipment
When temperatures drop, it’s time to turn on the home heating equipment, but first, be sure to call a furnace repair company. Technicians can vacuum the mechanisms and change a furnace’s filter to help keep your home’s air cleaner. Companies like HomeSmart from Xcel Energy in Denver CO will also make repairs to your furnace to keep your home safe and keep all parts in working order.

Seal Holes and Crevices
To keep odors out of your home, be sure to seal holes and crevices that are in the building’s foundation, or near windows and doorways. You can use liquid caulking or self-sticking insulating tape to plug holes where odors and pests can enter.
Use Air Purifier Systems
Have a permanent air purifier system installed next to your home’s furnace to clean incoming air and remove indoor pollution. If you can’t install a device on a home’s heating equipment, then use portable air purifier systems in commonly used in individual rooms.

Sanitize a Home each Week
Keep your home clean by mopping floors, vacuuming carpets, and shampooing upholstered furniture at least once a week. Do not use volatile cleansers that emit strong odors, instead try mild detergents made of natural substances.

A home with more fresh air becomes a pleasant to live in, and the occupants are more likely to remain healthy for longer.