Breathing conditions like allergies and asthma can be worsened by poor air quality, and while we believe that our homes are usually the safest places for us, that can sometimes be far from the truth. Air quality can be just as bad indoors as it is outdoors, and possibly worse. Whether you or a loved one suffers from breathing problems, or you’re just looking to air out your home, here are some tips to improve your living space.
Be aware of your home’s atmosphere. Is your house humid? Warm and wet conditions can encourage mold and mildew growth, which can greatly affect air quality. Open windows in your bathroom or laundry room, or place dehumidifiers around your home to prevent microbial growth. Dry homes can breed dust and sore throats, so make sure to regularly air out your home and fan-out any dust that may be collecting.
Don’t allow smokers to light up inside. Fire hazards and the smell aside, the smoke can collect in rooms and make it difficult for people to breath. This can be deadly for people with breathing conditions, and the smoke can linger for days after the smoker has left or put out their cigarette.
Open windows while you clean. While it’s never a bad idea to air out your home once in a while, the fumes from cleaning products can be harmful if you let them collect in one room. Mopping, cleaning toilets or showers, and scrubbing down stoves require hard cleaning solutions unless you’ve moved to non-toxic brands, so be sure to open a window and turn on a fan before you go to work.
Check your chimney regularly. If you have a working fireplace, be sure to check the ventilation whenever you use it. Smoke from the fireplace can be just as harmful as cigarette smoke, and can cause headaches and sinus congestion if it’s left to linger around your home.
Avoid scented candles and air fresheners. If you or someone you live with has a sensitivity to fragrance, candles and other forms of air fresheners can be a serious source of irritation. The same goes for incense, wall-plug fresheners, and perfumes. Stay far away from these items if you experience breakouts, itchiness, or allergy-like symptoms after using them. Essential oils and nontoxic candles are a huge help to those who need an alternative solution to scent their homes. Essential oils can also be worn to replace perfume.
Invest in plants and air-cleaning items. There are a number of items meant to improve air quality within the home, and all of them can yield impressive results. Toxins in the air can be responsible for a number of health issues, and you may be surprised on how much better you will feel after cleaning up your living space’s air. After completing the above steps and making sure your air conditioner filters are clean and changed, here are some added products that are available to improve the air quality in your home.
- Bamboo-charcoal. Charcoal is regularly used in beauty remedies, in medical situations, and in water purifiers. It absorbs toxins, and bamboo charcoal can improve air quality exponentially. Linen-bags can be filled with high-density charcoal, and you can re-use them and rejuvenate the bags by placing them in the sun monthly.
- Houseplants. It’s well known that living plants clean up the air naturally, and investing in a collection of hanging plants can be a great source of decor, and improve your air quality in the same breath. Try searching the internet and your local garden stores for good air-cleaning plants, and remember to set a watering schedule if you want them to last. There are also plants available for specific remedies needed in your home such as plants specific to certain allergies or asthma, etc.
- Salt lamps. Himalayan sea salt neutralizes pollutants when heated, so buying a salt lamp is a good way to improve air quality in the home. They are known to improve breathing, relieve asthma symptoms and are an overall great choice for improving health. Try checking online listings to find one, and invest in one that is the right size and shape for your home.
- Beeswax candles. Where paraffin candles can be scented and harmful to people with sensitivities, beeswax candles are all natural and actually helpful. They also burn slower, which makes them well-worth the money in comparison to traditional candles.
3 States with the Poorest Air Quality:
- California: Still known as the pollution king! The State of California is home to breathing conditions that are less than acceptable, specifically if you have real estate properties in San Francisco, Modesto, Los Angeles, Fresno and Bakersfield. Heavy traffic, sunny stagnant weather and agriculture pollution causes an ongoing issue with the quality of air for the residents of these cities in California. As a fun fact real estate agents in San Francisco are having a hard time selling a home when people are asking about the air quality…
- Pennsylvania: Running along the Pennsylvania/Ohio border is a strip that contains steel mills and the processing of coal, which is a huge dent in the quality of air for these two states. Finding a home in Pennsylvania sounds beautiful with the changes of seasons; however, people with breathing problems may want to reconsider their decision.
- Kentucky: Specifically if you have real estate in Louisville, Elizabethtown, and the Jefferson County area expect to see heavy pollutants in the air. The rolling hills are beautiful to look at and drive through, but they are responsible for holding dirty air hostage. The “heat island effect” also plays a role in the air quality – this is an urban or metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding areas due to human activity.
3 States with the Best Air Quality:
- Florida: If you’re looking to relocate to Florida and air quality is important to you then we would highly recommend for you to buy a home in Cape Coral, Florida. You can even check out the real estate in Fort Myers, Florida and the area known as the Space Coast, are among the cleanest cities in the US, having tested with no high ozone or high pollution days. Perhaps the small town vibes located here and reduced population help to contribute to the air quality being so much better…so do not wait to much and contact real estate agents in Cape Coral FL and if the Cape Coral housing market is not for you then real estate agents in Fort Myers FL will be more than happy to help.
- Hawaii: The lush tropical island feel leaves not only the feeling of Ahhhh for its beauty, but also for its good air quality. Hawaii ranks as one of the cities with the least amount of air pollution across the US, leaving the days open for fun in the sun instead of concerned about catching the next gasp of air.
- Vermont: Known for its gorgeous outward appearance during the fall and fun summer days near the water, this is a perfect place to reside if you are looking for clean air. Ranked among the top cities in the US for the least number of days filled with high particle pollution days, Vermont is even home to towns ranked among the top 25 US cities with the lowest year-round particle levels.
Do you have a favorite way to keep the air in your home clean and smelling great naturally? Let us know in the comments, and follow The Official Real Estate Agent Directory® for more lifestyle real estate tips to keep your home happy and healthy.
