5 Ways to Improve Winter Indoor Air Quality

According to a recent global air quality survey, household air pollution affects 50% of the world's population. As a result, the significance of improving indoor air quality cannot be overstated.

To comprehend how to improve the air quality in the winter, you must first understand the causes of poor indoor air quality. The consequences of indoor air quality are dire. Simple solutions such as ventilating your home and selecting the best robot vacuum and mop are available. 

First, let's talk about indoor air quality management in the winter and related matters.

What Are the Causes of Poor Winter Air Quality?

In the winter, indoor air quality suffers as homeowners become more aware of air leaks around windows, doors, rim joists, piping, and so on, resulting in insulation and other efforts to improve comfort and lower heating bills. 

People tend to keep doors and windows tightly closed during the winter to maintain indoor warmth. That, however, has negative consequences. According to the EPA, poor indoor air circulation allows bacteria, viruses, dust mites, mold spores, and other pathogens to accumulate, causing various health problems. 

They range from headaches, fatigue, and dizziness to more severe effects such as respiratory diseases, cancer, and heart disease. Volatile organic compounds (from paint, cleaning agents, and so on), pets, smoke, and so on are also to blame for poor indoor air quality.

5 Methods for Improving Indoor Air Quality

Given the effects of poor indoor air quality during winter, it is critical to take certain precautions. Here are five simple ways to improve indoor air quality.

Clean and Vacuum Frequently

Keeping your floor and floor coverings as carpets and mats clean can significantly improve your indoor air quality. Carpets and poor indoor air quality are linked since they cause higher homes’ allergen, dust, and pathogen levels. They are also related to health issues such as asthma, anxious symptoms, and mild cognitive effects.

Carpets, mats, and dirty floors are breeding grounds for dust, dust mites, mold, and various pathogens linked to poor indoor air quality. You can resolve all these by vacuuming and mopping your floor more frequently, especially during the winter when air circulation is poor. If you need a better cleaning task, consider a robot vacuum to do the job for you. Mops must also be clean; otherwise, pathogens will be reintroduced.

Consider the best vacuum for air quality available today with a filter, such as the yeedi vacuum and mop, to solve this problem. The yeedi sweeper is an all-in-one vacuum cleaner that provides unparalleled stress-free cleaning experiences. It maps a cleaning route in your home using visual mapping technology, anti-collision, and anti-fall sensors to clean efficiently and thoroughly.

Grow Some Plants

You can improve your indoor air quality by growing some indoor plants. Several studies, including one conducted by NASA, have linked indoor plants to better air quality. Houseplants can absorb harmful pathogens in the air. They are ideal for use in small spaces and rooms with little to no airflow. 

While plants are slower than air purifiers at purifying indoor air, they have other significant advantages. Plants, for example, are more therapeutic and cost-effective than air purifiers. However, to reap indoor air quality benefits, you must have a certain number of plants, i.e., 2-3 plants for every 100 square feet of indoor space. 

Some plants are also better at purifying the air than others. Indoor plants that improve indoor air quality include areca palm, snake plant, money plant, and Chinese evergreens.

Check the Indoor Air Quality

To improve indoor air quality, you must first understand your current situation. Indoor air quality monitors (IAQ monitors) provide precise data on air quality, allowing you to implement effective improvement measures. 

Today's best IAQ monitors can detect almost all pollutants indoors, including radon, which has been linked to 13.4 percent of all lung cancer-related deaths in the United States. IAQ monitors can detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) responsible for many respiratory health issues such as sinusitis.

The advantages of monitoring indoor air quality include identifying the specific pollutant in your home and finding effective ways to eliminate it. You will know precisely when to ventilate during the winter if a particular pollutant’s levels exceed.

A good air quality monitor will also check other metrics, such as indoor temperature, air pressure, and humidity, related to how we feel and perform. Temperature, air pressure, and humidity imbalances are common causes of headaches, migraines, joint pain, and blood pressure fluctuations. 

There is even evidence linking poor indoor air quality to cognitive impairment.

Please Open your Windows

Understandably, people dislike opening their windows during winter. The effort required to maintain a warm and comfortable indoor environment usually outweighs the need for fresh air. However, you must open your windows regularly to maintain a safe level of indoor air quality. You can determine the best time to ventilate if you have an indoor air quality monitor.

Replace Furnace Filters Regularly

As the demand for indoor heating rises, furnace filters are bound to collect particulate matter more quickly. If you don't replace furnace filters regularly, they won't work as well as they do in the winter. Removing dirty and clogged filters multiple times during the winter will ensure that the trapped particulate matter does not recirculate.

Final Thoughts 

You will not have any indoor air quality management issues after implementing the measures outlined above. You should begin by monitoring your indoor air quality before attempting to open windows and doors more frequently, add indoor plants, open your windows more frequently, and replace your furnace filters.