Spring Clean Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality

Spring Clean Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality

We all love the sense of accomplishment that goes along with giving your home a good spring cleaning, but there is one area many people often overlook – their indoor air!

Here are a few ways to control the air pollution in your home:

Leave Your Shoes at the Door
Yes, it can be that easy! By removing your shoes upon entering your home, you can immediately prevent tracking dirt, allergens and other unwanted materials around the house.

Keep Floors Clean (Rugs & Carpets Too!)
This is likely already at the top of everyone’s spring cleaning list, and for good reason. Even if you regularly avoid walking around your home with shoes on, floors and floor coverings are still the top collectors of dust, pet dander and other pollutants. Products like SafeChoice® All Purpose Cleaner and SafeChoice® Carpet Shampoo provide the deep clean you need without any harsh or toxic chemicals.

Add a Little Greenery
Houseplants are a natural way to purify the air in your home, while adding beauty to your space. Check out this list of plants that can help remove formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene and carbon monoxide, among other pollutants.

Prevent Mold & Mildew
Unventilated, confined spaces such as shower stalls, bathrooms, and saunas, as well as roofs, air filtration systems and spa decks, countertops, walls, floors and ceilings are all commonly attacked by mold and mildew. Proactively sealing these areas with SafeChoice® X-158 can prevent the growth of mold and mildew and the breathing problems often associated with them.

Replace Your Air Filter
An air filter’s job is to catch unwanted particles lingering in the air, so it would make sense that the higher quality of a filter you use, the more it will catch. Air filters should also be regularly replaced, as they eventually get clogged with the particles they catch. Switching them out once a month is usually ideal.

Go Fragrance Free
This is often a challenge, as everything from cleaning products to candles and air fresheners can contain hazardous chemicals that contribute to indoor air pollution. Make the switch to products made with natural cleaners like lemon, baking soda or vinegar (or make your own!) and try beeswax candles to enjoy pleasant aromas in your home without the smoke and toxic chemicals.

Redecorate with Nontoxic Paints and Stains
Everything from the paint on your walls to the stains and glues used on your woodwork and furniture may be outgassing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – even when dry – that linger in the air and can cause serious health problems. At AFM Safecoat, we offer a full range of products to seal in this type of outgassing, as well as paints and stains in a variety of colors and finishes that are guaranteed to be nontoxic and contain Zero VOCs.

With these tips and the help of AFM Safecoat products, you and your family will breathe easier at home all year long.