Keeping your home clean is important for your health and wellbeing. With some smart strategies, you can also purify your indoor air quality at the same time. Here’s how to purify your home air while you clean.
Use Green Cleaning Products
Conventional cleaning products often contain harmful chemicals like ammonia, chlorine, and formaldehyde. When you use these products, you are releasing toxins into your home’s air.
Instead, switch to green cleaning products that are made from plant-based, non-toxic ingredients. Brands like Mrs. Meyer’s, Seventh Generation, and Method offer green all-purpose cleaners, laundry detergents, dish soaps, and more.
Using green cleaning products improves your indoor air quality by eliminating hazardous chemical fumes. At the same time, you still get a deep clean. It’s a win-win for both home air purity and cleanliness.
Open the Windows
One of the simplest ways to freshen your indoor air is to open up the windows. Natural ventilation with fresh outdoor air dilutes and displaces any pollutants inside.
When you are doing heavy-duty cleaning like vacuuming, washing floors, or cleaning the bathroom, be sure to open windows and turn on fans. The increased airflow will remove contaminants and prevent them from recirculating through your home.
If you have windows that you don’t usually open, make an effort to open them up whenever you clean. Stagnant air needs a boost of circulation.
Use Houseplants
Here’s an easy way to passively clean your air: add houseplants! Plants naturally purify indoor air through their normal process of photosynthesis.
Some great options for air-purifying houseplants include:
- Spider plants – Remove xylene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide
- English ivy – Filters airborne mold and fecal matter particles
- Peace lilies – Absorb acetone, trichloroethylene, and benzene
- Snake plants – Excellent for filtering formaldehyde
Place these plants in rooms where you spend a lot of time or do extensive cleaning. Over time, they will naturally filter out pollutants.
Install Air Purifiers
For more thorough air purification, install true HEPA air purifiers throughout your home. HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters are able to remove up to 99.97% of airborne particles down to 0.3 microns in size.
Place air purifiers in frequently used rooms where dust and odors accumulate like the living room, bedroom, and kitchen. Turn them on whenever you vacuum, dust, or use cleaning sprays. The air purifiers will actively scrub the air of all the kicked-up particles and fumes.
Focus on Problematic Areas
When deep cleaning your home, focus extra attention on areas most prone to indoor air pollution like:
- Kitchen – Clean oven hoods and vents to remove grease. Use green cleaners to scrub counters, floors, and appliances.
- Bathrooms – Scrub tile, grout, showers, and toilets to control mold and mildew. Open windows and run fans during and after cleaning.
- Vacuum carpets and upholstery – Use HEPA filter vacuums to capture dust, pet dander, pollen, and other allergens.
- Dust ceiling fans and electronic equipment – Removes accumulated dust and pet hair.
- Wash bedding and curtains in hot water – Kills dust mites and freshens fabrics.
Targeting high-risk zones helps improve your overall indoor air quality, not just in isolated spots.
Maintain Consistency
The key is to stick to these air-purifying cleaning methods consistently. One heavy-duty green cleaning session won’t cut it. You need to vacuum frequently, change air filters regularly, keep using green products, and stay on top of dust and odors.
Establish a routine based on each room and task’s needs. Consistent, ongoing maintenance cleaning will keep your home’s air pure for the long-haul.
Conclusion
You don’t have to choose between cleanliness and air quality. With the right techniques, you can purify your home’s air at the same time as you get grime and dirt under control. Use green cleaning products, open the windows, add plants, install air purifiers, target problematic zones, and maintain consistency. Keep both a tidy home and healthy air by cleaning smart.
