Experts say that coronaviruses spread more easily in poorly ventilated and crowded rooms. This is why in the time of a pandemic, we need to ensure that our homes are not a hotbed for any kinds of viruses—not just the one that causes COVID-19.
Here are some tips and tricks to ensure that your home is well-ventilated in 2021.
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Keep Your Windows And Doors Open.
This is perhaps one of the simplest steps you can take to ensure that your home is always rid of potential contaminants. Keeping your home open will help create a cross-flow that will enhance the air circulation in your entire house. Even experts say that an open window provides more circulation than mechanical ventilation. If the temperature is too cold, keeping a window open for at least fifteen minutes a day is enough to keep viruses at bay.
Maintain Your HVAC System.
Your home’s heating, ventilation, air purifier, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems work together to keep the temperature, humidity, and indoor air as healthy and comfortable as possible. When you neglect these systems, their filters and ducts can collect dust and other contaminants, which are allergens that can cause illness in your home’s occupants. On the flip side, when you maintain these operating systems properly, you increase the rate of air change, decrease air recirculation, and add to the amount of fresh outdoor air coming into your home.
Talk to central air conditioning experts about what settings will not recirculate air and how it improves your home’s indoor air quality. Central air conditioning is also optimal for your home since it’s quiet, more cost-efficient than regular air conditioning, provides convenience and comfort, and increases the value of your residential property.
Be Strategic About Furniture Placement.
If your home is on the older side, or if you haven’t rearranged your furniture in decades, now may be a good time to do so. Older buildings and houses tend to have been designed in ways that didn’t really keep proper ventilation in mind, so it’s up to you now to make some changes and upgrades that will improve the air circulation in your home.
We don’t often notice how our furniture is placed, especially if our windows are on the smaller side and we haven’t thought about it ever. Consider rearranging your furniture to ensure that no chair, table, or cabinet is blocking the windows. Ditch the heavy drapes and curtains and opt for more sheer ones that you can easily pull to the side.
If there are doors in your home that are now blocked by tables and cabinetry, consider decluttering so that you can keep those doors open as well. Check the vents as well—inspect if there is anything too close to the vents that could affect your walls, floors, or ceilings. Even the smallest adjustments can create the biggest impact on your home.
Invest in Ceiling Fans.
During moments when you keep your windows and doors open, consider having a ceiling fan installed into your home’s common areas and keep them on while the doors and windows are also open. Ceiling fans work to push away fumes and stale air, contributing to healthy air circulation in your house. At the same time, fans can help cool air to circulate through your home, lessening the burden on your AC system. One tip that you should remember is to keep your ceiling fan turning counterclockwise during warmer months since that promotes better and greater airflow.
Become A Plant Parent.
Plants are natural air purifiers. Even scientists from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recommended some plants that we can take care of to improve our home’s indoor air quality. Here are some of them:
- Peace lily
- Chrysanthemum
- English ivy
- Snake plant
- Red-edged dracaena
- Bamboo palm
- Money plant
- Flamingo lily
- Janet Craig
- Warnecke
- Cornstalk dracaena
Before you settle on specific plants, make sure you first research how to care for them so that you know if they match your lifestyle and daily routine.
Improving your home’s air circulation is one of the best ways you can protect yourself and your family not just from COVID-19 but all kinds of air pollutants and viruses as well. Make it a priority by taking the necessary steps to ensure your home’s occupants breathe clean air regularly. Good luck!