We’ve already covered how houseplants can improve indoor air quality. Recently we expanded our own collection—adding English ivy to join our Boston fern and Burro Tail—and it made a noticeable difference. Introducing more natural air purifiers into the house felt like a small but effective upgrade.
Alongside plants, we replaced the air filters for our heating and cooling system. That’s a simple task worth doing every three months. In the past we’d often forget and only changed filters once or twice a year, but our programmable thermostat now reminds us. It even lets us record the date we change the filter so it can prompt us again three months later—a handy little feature that helps keep airflow efficient and indoor air cleaner.
We also installed a second carbon monoxide detector/fire alarm near our gas fireplace in the den—one of the common sources of carbon monoxide in a home. Other risks include gas stoves, wood-burning stoves, and gas heaters. Since many modern detectors combine smoke and CO detection, it’s easy to protect multiple areas of the house with a single device type.
Carbon monoxide is dangerous and unpredictable. We recently heard a chilling story about a mother and her baby who fell asleep and narrowly survived when the mother woke disoriented and managed to get them out of the house. That kind of story reinforces the value of multiple detectors: we now have one in the bedroom and another on the opposite end of the house. A little investment in detectors brings significant peace of mind and helps ensure the air we breathe is safer.
How about you—what do you do to keep your indoor air clean? Do you use reminders, apps, or calendar alerts to remember filter changes? Share the tips you’ve found helpful for maintaining good air quality at home.
Images courtesy of amazon.com