Air is one of the essential things we need to survive. Thus, it’s crucial for your health and wellbeing that the air quality in your home is top-notch. However, when you live in a rental home, there’s only so much control you can exercise to change things. If you’re looking for viable ventilation options, you’re on the right track. This article reveals 5 ways to improve indoor air quality in your rental home. From maintaining your AC to items you can buy, we’ve got some of the simplest solutions you can use immediately.
What Causes Poor Air Quality
● Poor Ventilation
Before we get into how you can improve your air quality, we should look at what causes poor air quality. Poor ventilation is one of the most common causes of reduced quality. Restricted airflow prevents proper circulation and encourages the build-up of dust and allergens.
● Dust and Allergens
Dust and allergens are minute particles that can reduce the air quality in your house. They can irritate the respiratory system, trigger allergies, and cause other respiratory problems when they’re excessive. If you want to avert this nuisance, you should dust your home regularly for dirt and animal dander.
● Excess Humidity
Another source of poor air is excess humidity. When there’s too much moisture in the atmosphere, it can encourage bacterial growth. In turn, your walls could develop mold, which can be dangerous to your respiratory health.
Negative Effects of Poor Air Quality
● Irritation
Irritation is one of the most common effects of poor air quality. A build-up of dust and pollen can trigger your allergens, respiratory tract, or skin. If left untreated or prolonged, it can lead to more severe health consequences. Other health effects you might suffer include headaches and shortness of breath.
● Foul Odors
When air isn’t moving, there’s a tendency for the room to develop a type of smell. Often, this isn’t pleasant and can range from stall to awful. That’s why it’s essential to properly ventilate your home and ensure continuous circulation of fresh air.
● Damaged Furniture
If there’s no way for excess moisture to escape your house, the effect can be detrimental to your furniture. This build-up could cause mold growth or spotting on your belongings, weakening their integrity. Additionally, mold could affect your walls, ceiling, and floor. You could even be held liable if you fail to alert your landlord on time to this development.
How to Improve Ventilation in Your Home
1. Check and Clean HVAC Filters Regularly
It would help if you didn’t leave the air conditioner servicing to your landlord. On the contrary, you should occasionally chip in by cleaning it. Over time, your vents can accumulate a lot of dust which they then recycle into the air circulation. Bay Property Management Group recommends preventative HVAC maintenance to improve air quality.
Thus, if you don’t clean them often off, you might notice everyone in the house is sneezing a lot. Wiping the external blades would make air circulation healthier and make your air conditioner more effective at cooling.
2. Open the Windows
One of the easiest and most obvious solutions to improving ventilation in your home is to crack open a window. When your windows are closed all day, it can make the room feel stuffy and prevent proper airflow. However, the breeze can penetrate through once you open the window, and cross ventilation can happen. The fresh air can then carry indoor air pollutants like dust, allergens, and moisture away. Of course, this tip isn’t advisable in the dead of winter, as you want to keep the cold air outside your home.
3. Buy a Fan
If you’d like to keep the air moving, consider buying a fan. A working fan can improve ventilation by promoting air circulation. A table or standing fan might be your best bet if you need something for an office space. Alternatively, you could also invest in a ceiling fan for more central ventilation. Additionally, purchasing an exhaust fan for your kitchen or storage could prevent the build-up of moisture and smoke.
4. Get a House Plant
Plants are an excellent addition to any home because they accomplish two goals. First, they’re fantastic at purifying the air in any room because they consume excess carbon dioxide. In return, they expel fresh oxygen, making the air in your room feel cleaner. Secondly, plants are a trendy design tip. Several indoor flowers can make your home look more aesthetically pleasing. Besides, there are also low-maintenance options if you’re the busy type. For example, aloe vera, snake plant, and weeping fig are excellent choices.
5. Use an Air Purifier
Finally, what better to cleanse the atmosphere than with an air purifier? You can either order one online or buy it from your local electronics store. After that, you can place them at strategic locations in your house to make the most of their functionality. Even if you’re on a tight budget, tons of effective brands provide these machines at affordable rates.
Conclusion
Fresh and clean air can improve your health and wellbeing. Thus, it would be in your best interest to implement one of these 5 ways to improve air quality in your rental home. It could save you from adverse effects like mold damage, irritation, and foul odors.
