Easy Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality
June 11, 2018This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Lennox. All opinions are 100% mine.
As Americans, we spend a lot of time indoors so breathing clean air where we live, work and play is essential. While there is a wide variety of contaminants that can negatively affect indoor air quality, there are some simple steps you can take to improve the situation in your home. Today I’ll be sharing some details on innovative products from Lennox®, which are designed to reduce impurities in the air- Learn more here. I’ll also be providing some easy-to-implement tips to improve your indoor air quality right away.
Summer is not a fun time for those of us who suffer from seasonal allergies and asthma. Did you know that in the U.S. alone over 20 million people suffer from asthma and over 50 million suffer from at least one allergy? When it comes to indoor air quality, those with respiratory issues tend to be more sensitive to airborne contaminants. This makes it even more important to take some measures to reduce, and even eliminate, contamination. My younger daughter has seasonal allergies, so we are always cognizant of the air quality in our home. Feeling confident that my family is breathing clean air indoors is extremely important to me. As a chemical engineer, I actually studied the composition of indoor air in college. Did you know that indoor air is often contaminated with multiple kinds of impurities and foreign particles? These impurities can irritate the eyes, nose & lungs and can create foul odors. Indoor air contaminants fall into three categories:
- Particles: This includes dust, dirt & allergens (like pollen).
- Mold & Mildew: This includes tiny organisms in the air that prefer damp environments.
- Chemical Vapors: This includes gases produced by cleaning products, paint, adhesives, and other chemicals found in a typical home.
Now that you understand the various forms of airborne contaminants, here are some ways to solve the problem:
1. Combat allergens with a Lennox system! When it comes to tackling indoor allergens, choosing a Lennox system is a smart move. While other systems available on the market only tackle one or two categories of airborne contaminants, the Lennox PureAir™ Air Purification System actually tackles all three! In fact, the Lennox PureAir Air Purification System is the only system of its kind available on the market. The innovative technology actually uses three steps to fight the three categories of common contaminants. With a Lennox PureAir whole-home air purification, the air throughout your home will be improved in one swift step. You can click here to learn more about the Lennox PureAir system. By the way, the PureAir system does not produce ozone as a by-product of its purification process, unlike some other air cleaning solutions. In fact, its carbon filtration actually reduces ozone generated by other sources in your home. After all, with all the time spent inside, what’s more important than breathing clean air?! The PureAir system reduces contaminants with hospital-grade filtration and a revolutionary technology known as photocatalytic oxidation (PCO). Here are the three steps used to purify the air:
- Step 1: The highly-rated, whole-home Carbon Clean 16® filter removes 99.9% of mold spores, pollen, dust, and pet dander, more than 95% of fine particles absorbed by lungs down to 0.3 micron, in addition to removing or destroying 90% of flu and cold viruses, infectious bacteria like MRSA and other living microorganisms down to 0.01 micron.
- Step 2: Odors and chemical vapors flow through the PCO cartridge and are exposed to the catalytic surface (titanium-dioxide-coated PureAir cartridge).
- Step 3: Germicidal light energy from the UVA lamp and catalyst work together to break down odors and chemical vapors into harmless carbon dioxide and water, thereby removing these contaminants from the airstream.
In addition to air purification products, Lennox also offers a wide variety of smart home gadgets, such as the iComfort® S30 and E30s smart thermostats. These thermostats are outfitted with the Allergen Defender feature, which checks air quality & pollen levels in your zip code and then automatically adjusts the system’s blower accordingly to offer continued filtration when you need it. By the way, Lennox can also connect and be integrated with multiple Smart Home devices, such as Amazon’s Alexa. I love it when technology can work in my favor, giving me more time to play with the kids. Speaking of this, my younger daughter has graduated to 24-piece puzzles! Proud mama over here! As a mom, I really appreciate that Lennox is always innovating practical solutions for homeowners throughout the country. Just like we rely on our router to get us online & our refrigerator to provide us with cold food, we rely on Lennox to provide us with clean air. It’s an integral part of home! With Lennox products, I can enjoy the peace of mind & satisfaction of knowing my family is breathing pure, clean air. And that is worth a lot to me!
Find a dealer near you to get started with a Lennox system!
2. Remove clutter! We all know that things collect dust so adopting a minimalist lifestyle is a smart move when it comes to indoor air quality! I personally dislike a cluttered space, so I try to minimize knick knacks, toys, decorations, and more. Creating a simpler lifestyle and setting up a weekly cleaning routine is a good idea. To prevent dirt from entering your home, use a high-quality doormat at your front entryway and request that guests remove their shoes upon visiting.
3. Keep pets off furniture! While we all love our furry friends, they tend to bring allergens wherever they go. Keep them out of the bedroom, which is the room where many people spend most of our time. Also, be sure to keep pets off furniture- their hairs can easily become entrapped within the fibers of a microfiber couch.
4. Use an exhaust fan! Letting moisture build up inside the home can be detrimental to indoor air quality. If you’re cooking a meal in the kitchen, use an over-the-stove exhaust fan. An over-the-stove microwave with a built-in fan function works well too. In the bathroom, turn on the exhaust fan when bathing or showering to dissipate the extra humidity. If you don’t have a dedicated exhaust fan, crack open a window for a short time to let the moisture escape.
5. Never allow smoking inside! Make it a rule in your house never to allow smoking inside. Whether you or someone in your family smokes (or it’s a guest at a party), ensure that all smoking happens outdoors. Smoke can build up in the interior of the house and can be dangerous for all, especially for individuals with sensitive respiratory systems. After all, when it comes to cigarette smoke, no level is actually proven safe!
6. Avoid artificial fragrances! Air fresheners are a popular way to fragrance the home. While they may smell nice, they can actually be dangerous. Did you know they often emit Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)? These products can build up in the air in the home and can be particularly bothersome to the young, the elderly and those with compromised respiratory systems. To add a lovely scent to your home, consider using baking soda to absorb foul odors and simply boil citrus slices in some water to add a natural (safe) scent to your space.
Learn more about Lennox technology that can help clean the air in your home and find a dealer near you. Do you worry about the air quality in your home? How do you keep the air in your home clean?
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I need to do a lot of these! Ours cats won’t stay off the couches though, ugh. We need that air purifier. We have two cats, so it would come in handy.
I love these tips. It’s so important to keep your indoor air as clean as possible, especially if you have allergies the way my family does. They’re horrible and our home is our only sactuary.
This post is great on so many levels. I spend a lot of time indoors and have awful allergies so clean air is so important!! I need to check out one of these purifiers ASAP!!
I have to admit I don’t think about the air quality in my home enough. I really should try and think about ways to make it the best quality I can.
My daughter had asthma as a child so it was important for us to have good air quality in our home. It’s something a lot of people don’t think about.
I have really bad allergies so we make sure those air filters are changed! I can’t tell you how much I loathe this time of year sometimes. No medication seems to fully take care of it.
It is amazing how much dust and fuzz clutter attracts. It is shocking when you go to clean it all.
Yes, getting rid of all the stuff helps a lot!
I think controlling air quality in our homes is incredibly important. I find that when I am not opening the windows enough, we get all stuffy and it just doesn’t feel right!
These are some great ideas. We really do need to get ourselves an air pr\urfier. I know the kids…really the whole family…would benefit from it.
I have horrible allergies and indoor air quality matters if I want to keep my symptoms at bay. Now that we are renting, I have to remind the landlord to swap the air filter for us. It’s locked in a closet so its not something we can do ourselves. I really need to get a few green plants to help improve the indoor air quality. The thing that has helped the most was getting a rental that didnt have carpet. It had made a huge difference.
Good points! I agree… carpet can definitely make things worse!
Good tips especially now that our windows will be closed and the a/c will be on!
Thank you for sharing about Lennoxx technology. I need to look into a solution for my house and this looks great.
Great tips! Air quality is so important but it’s something that many people don’t think about!
Great ideas! I have been working on improving our homes air quality because my son’s allergies have been out of control.
I just got a new purifier and I love it. It has made such a huge difference in the air.
Indoor air quality is so important. I make sure I am always breathing the freshest air.
Good for you, Kita! It’s essential to think about the quality of one’s air!
I’ve not heard of the Lennox system before. These are some great ways to improve air quality at home! Thanks for sharing.
I never thought about the quality of the indoor air! I love your tips. I will try them!
So important to think about indoor air! Hope you follow some of these tips! 🙂
Great tips! Having an air purifier in the house is very important for us. We have one in each room and they are on 24/7.
To improve indoor air quality I always try to keep the whole house mess free and yes I use lg air purifier.
You have shared the right things. It is a very important issue to improve indoor air quality. You can set up an eco plant to improve your indoor quality.