Improve the air in your home

By Heather

Janelle from HealthyChild.org told me that indoor air quality is a serious issue facing families today. If your house has an ongoing funky smell or has recently had a failed radon, mold or carbon monoxide test, it’s time to get serious about cleaning up your household air and addressing the underlying problem.

I love this checklist she shared with dozens of healthy tips for improving your indoor air quality. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Open windows when you can to allow fresh air to mix with stale air inside
• Take off your shoes when you come inside to leave the dirt and yuck from outside where it belongs. We got into this habit when our babies were crawling, but it stuck
• Regularly vacuum with a HEPA filter (did you know that the gunk from your vacuum bag is compostable? It totally is! You’re welcome). We now have a UL certified vacuum that requires almost no effort on my part to do the job
• Use essential oils and herbs rather than scented candles for freshening
• Change filters regularly according to the package instructions.

Finally, choose indoor plants that can clean and green your air. Did you know that NASA funded a study to determine which potted plants improve the air quality in our houses and on spacecraft?! You really can’t open windows in space, ya know? In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, certain plants can remove formaldehyde, benzene and other toxins. Recommended air-cleaning plants that are also nontoxic to small children include Chinese evergreen, arrow head vine, English ivy and spider plants.

If you’re building a new home, learn some tips for healthier construction that improves indoor air quality on the EPA Web site (with downloadable PDF called care for your air).