Effective Ways To Improve Indoor Air Quality on a Budget for Crestwood Homeowners

Have you ever wondered what pollutants lurk in your air? If so, you can apply a few effective ways to improve indoor air quality on a budget. Air Support Heating & AC Repair specializes in HVAC services in Crestwood, KY.  Our crew helps customers make their homes healthier daily, and they imparted some of their air quality wisdom below. 

Effective Ways To Improve Indoor Air Quality on a Budget

Indoor air quality is the term we use to discuss how healthy or unhealthy interior air is. Whenever you enter a building, you inhale oxygen alongside any toxic or triggering particulates circulating through the HVAC system. Like many Crestwood residents, you likely spend most of your time at home. You can apply the following indoor air quality tips to make your household healthier. 

Know What Causes Your Home or Business’s Poor Air Quality in Crestwood, Kentucky

One of the most effective ways to improve indoor air quality on a budget involves figuring out what contaminants are floating around your home. Some come from the outdoor environment. For instance, the pollen season in Crestwood, Kentucky, lasts from March to June. 

Meanwhile, the local cold and flu season lasts all winter. If you live near a busy road, you must combat additional pollution from the road. But indoor air pollution can also result from your lifestyle habits:

• Pet ownership
• Burning candles or smoking indoors
• Harsh chemical products
• Housekeeping habits

Since indoor air quality and health benefits go hand in hand, you can administer an IAQ test or request a professional analysis to learn which unhealthy elements are circulating in your home and where they come from. 

Limit Substances and Activities That Harm IAQ

Once you know where the contaminates originate, you can form new healthy habits and curb old, unhealthy ones to eliminate indoor allergens. For instance, if you smoke or vape indoors, you might quit altogether or at least take your sessions outdoors. 

You could groom your pets more often in an outdoor area. Some Crestwood homeowners dust, sweep, and vacuum more frequently throughout the week to get rid of harmful allergens. You might also replace harsh household cleaners with gentler, less irritating ones.

Shop for Store-Bought IAQ Solutions

If you’re strapped for cash, you might shop for portable indoor air quality devices at a local home improvement or home goods store. While they don’t beat the professional installations provided by your HVAC company, they are still among the effective ways to improve indoor air quality on a budget. What products should you consider?

• Higher-quality HVAC filters: Start at the source by splurging on filters with higher MERV ratings that can remove smaller particles. 
• Portable air purifiers: Many retailers carry air purifiers outfitted with HEPA filters that you can move from room to room. 
• Humidifiers and dehumidifiers: Sometimes, nasal and respiratory agitation comes from subpar moisture levels rather than the presence of allergens. You might try single-room humidifiers and dehumidifiers in such cases.

If you’re looking to develop a green thumb while trying these effective ways to improve indoor air quality on a budget, you can also purchase some indoor plants for air quality. Plants don’t make dramatic IAQ changes, so don’t expect them to make your Crestwood home’s environment pristine. However, they do remove carbon dioxide and replenish interior spaces with oxygen. 

Open Windows and Doors When Possible

If you want to spend as little cash as possible, you might try natural air purification methods like simply opening your doors and windows during pleasant weather. Spring and autumn bring some beautiful, clear days to Crestwood, Kentucky. Often, you just need to replenish stale indoor air with fresh outside air.

Remember to contain your pets to prevent them from escaping your home. Then, open the doors and windows to let that crisp air move through. You get bonus freshness if you do it the day after a cleansing rain. 

Circulate Air Through Your HVAC System

Last but certainly not least, your HVAC system offers stellar ventilation for cleaner air. Turn the thermostat to the “On” or “Fan” setting, and your heating and cooling equipment will do the rest. Plus, if you’ve chosen a better HVAC filter, you’ll enjoy improved results.