How to Improve Indoor Air Quality in the Fall

One of the nicest things about the late summer and the turn of the season is getting to enjoy the pleasant weather and cool breezes. If you’re like many people, you can open up your windows and let the outside air circulate through the home, keeping you cool and improving the indoor air quality.

However, once temperatures start to cool down in the fall, it can become too cold to keep your windows open all day. When that happens, indoor air quality starts to suffer. Below, we go over some ways to improve indoor air quality in the fall.

Whole house fans are by far the most efficient way to improve indoor air quality. Whole house fans can be used when it’s hot to exhaust trapped air and create a breeze, but they can also be used during the fall when you want to improve air quality.

All you have to do is open up a window or door and run your whole house fan for 5 to 10 minutes to exhaust all of the trapped air and toxic air pollution. This is a good option year-round, but especially when it’s too cold to keep your windows open for long.

Air purifiers can be used in any room where there’s a lot of indoor air pollution or you spend a lot of time. For example, having an air purifier in the kitchen or where your pets hang out is a good way to eliminate polluted air before it spreads to other parts of your home. Another good place to put an air purifier is in the bedroom. While you sleep, you could be breathing in polluted air all night if your home isn’t ventilated during the fall.

HVAC filters help catch dust, allergens, and other pollutants as they move through the air in your home. If you don’t regularly change the filters, they become less effective, allowing these toxic particles to flow freely through the home. Therefore, make sure you’re regularly checking and changing these filters to improve indoor air quality.

Certain houseplants are great at naturally filtering pollutants out of the air. Some houseplants for improving air quality include:

• Snake plant
• Rubber plant
• English Ivy
• Peace lily

… and many more.

Take note of what’s polluting your air and take steps to reduce them. Some sources of pollution include:

• Smoking, candles, incense
• Cooking
• Dirty rugs and furniture
• Bedding
• Cleaning products

By incorporating one or more of the above tips, you can enjoy the cool, crisp autumn weather, while also improving indoor air quality.