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Because of the Delta variant, people are looking for new ways to protect themselves against the coronavirus. One odd way that you can protect your home is by adding additional indoor ventilation.
Not only will indoor ventilation help protect your home from the virus, but it will simply make your home cleaner, more comfortable, and more habitable.
How can I improve my indoor ventilation? Simply opening a window or using household fans, exhaust fans, air purifiers, and HEPA filters can increase indoor ventilation in your home, as well as remove any contaminants.
To learn more about increasing indoor ventilation through these methods, read on.
Why Does Indoor Air Ventilation Matter?
Even if you have a clean air source, you might be breathing in contaminants and pollutants if you have poor air ventilation.
The reason for this is that lack of ventilation means that the pollutants sit in the air without room to escape. This can be a major issue whenever you are painting, using chemicals, or even cooking.
If you add additional ventilation in your home, the air quality will improve because fumes, toxic or otherwise, are given a chance to escape.
More so, proper ventilation is simply more comfortable. Whenever ventilation is bad, rooms often feel stuffy and hot, no matter what you crank the AC up to. Adding additional ventilation makes the air feel fresher and more comfortable to sit in.
Good ventilation is especially important because of COVID-19. Studies have shown that areas with good ventilation are prone to fewer breakouts and illnesses. This is likely because the ventilation does not leave the virus trapped inside the room.
How Can I Improve My Indoor Air Ventilation?
If you are interested in improving your air ventilation, there are five things you can do: open windows, use household fans, use exhaust fans, use air purifiers, and use HEPA filters. Better yet, use multiple of these tips at the same time to maximize ventilation.
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Use Air Purifiers
Fresh air devices like air purifiers are a great way to increase indoor ventilation while also ridding the air of contaminants. How air purifiers work is that the purifier sucks in air and neutralizes any contaminants using filters. Then, the newly sanitized air is put back into the room.
Air purifiers are efficient at ventilating rooms since the air is moving through a cycle. Every time the air purifier pushes more air out, there is a steady flow of air moving about the room, leading to more ventilation.
At the same time, the air purifier ensures that the air being ventilated is clean. This is a great feature if you or your loved ones suffer from allergies, asthma, and other irritants. Because of the purification powers, the air you’ll be breathing in will be less irritating.
Open the Windows
The easiest way to increase indoor ventilation is to simply open your windows. The outdoor air is naturally ventilated because of the wind.
By opening your windows, the moving air ventilates your home. Of course, opening windows is only an option whenever the weather allows.
If you have a screen door, you can get even more ventilation. Open the main door and allow air to ventilate with the screened one. If you don’t have a screen door, we highly recommend one if you like the idea of natural ventilation.
The beauty of opening your windows is that the ventilation is all natural. You don’t have to worry about bringing other chemicals or devices into the home. Just utilize what nature already provides, AKA the wind. Keep in mind that your electricity bill may go up depending on the time of year you do this.
Use Household Fans
If it is raining or too hot out to open a window, you can use household fans instead. For example, ceiling fans will ventilate the air, as well as portable fans.
For best results, make sure that fans are pointed away from many people to protect against allergies and other irritants.
Additionally, be cautious if you are using a portable fan. These items can be dangerous around children and pets who don’t know how to act safely around these devices.
You can purchase portable fans with safety features to maximize the safety of the device while bringing more ventilation inside.
Use Exhaust Fans
If you have exhaust fans in your bathroom or kitchen, you can try turning those on as well. This is an especially great option if the area that needs ventilation the most is around the exhaust fans.
Although the exhaust fans won’t ventilate the entire home, they can be a short-term fix.
More so, turn on the exhaust fans whenever you are taking a shower, going to the bathroom, or cooking.
That way, the smell, steam, and temperature don’t permeate the rest of the home. This small habit will make a big difference in your home’s ventilation.
Use HEPA Filters
One last way to increase indoor ventilation is to use HEPA filters. HEPA, which stands for high-efficiency particulate air, is the most effective filter at removing airborne particles, such as dust, bacteria, and even mold. Obviously, this will result in cleaner air.
Although the HEPA filters themselves don’t increase ventilation, the devices you attach them to will. You can attach HEPA filters to air purifiers, your HVAC system, or even vacuums.
When you use the HEPA filters with these devices, you can ensure that the air you put back into your home is safe to breathe.
Furthermore, keeping your HEPA filter clean and maintained is essential for ideal ventilation. Whenever filters are dirty, air doesn’t ventilate through them as easily. By replacing the filter whenever needed, you can ensure that the devices are properly pumping air.
Final Thoughts
Simply open a window to increase your indoor ventilation. For further help, consider using indoor fans, exhaust fans, air purifiers, and HEPA filters. All of these devices increase ventilation, and some even help purify the air.
That way, you can feel more comfortable in your home and protect yourself and your loved ones from allergens, contaminants, and other harmful items.
