Here in Michigan, we experience harsh extremes in weather throughout our seasons. Our winters are typically gloomy and cold with lots of snow. Our summers are humid and hot with periods of thunderstorms and rain. Needless to say, we spend a lot more inside our home than outside during the cold winter months and hot summer months.
Because of this, my husband and I keep the air quality in our home as clean and fresh as possible. Throughout the last few years we've done a few things to ensure that the indoor air our kids and we breathe in is fresh! Here are a few tips for cleaner air in your home.
1.) Professional Air Duct Cleaning
Before the birth of our first son, I was in major first time mom nesting mode. We hired a professional air duct cleaner to clear out all of the vents and air ducts in our home of dirt and dust that built up throughout the years. While there isn't any research to back-up the necessity of having your home's air ducts cleaned, I figured it wouldn't harm us. In the end, I was happy that we had it done just for regular cleaning and maintenance in our home. It's been a few years, so we're looking to do have this done again at the end of the summer season.
2.) Indoor Plants
I am a huge fan of having indoor plants in each room of our home. I don't have the greenest thumb, but I've managed to keep a few plants alive in the last few years. My husband is usually better about caring for them than I am; and our kids love to help water the plants around the house. I also try to keep fresh flowers in the kitchen, bathrooms and foyer/entryway. In our main living room, we have a huge plant ("Roger") next to our kids' play space. Our front staircase has a big landing where we house a small fern and I also keep a plant near my desk in the home office. There's definitely a difference in air quality with fresh plants oxygenating the air in each room. The trick is learning how to keep them alive and thriving; I'm still working on that one!
3.) Quality Air Purifier
My husband has been looking for a quality air purifier since late last year during our dreary winter. But, with so many different products and reviews, he was at a loss for which product to purchase for our home. During his search he luckily came across Intellipure, Inc.'s (a sister brand to HealthWay Home Products) Ultrafine series of air purifiers. He was elated when the Intellipure Ultrafine 468 Air Purifier arrived for us to try and set it up right away.
We really love that Intellipure, Inc. is an all-American company, with each unit being carefully made in the USA. Our unit from the Intellipure Ultrafine Series eliminates the smallest, most harmful particles - ultrafine particles, which are known to cause cancer, Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, lung disease, respiratory problems, and even stroke.
We've been using our unit since April and can already tell the major difference in the air quality of our home. In addition to our actual use, I love all of the research and testing behind all of Intellipure's air purity products. They are at the forefront of the industry in terms of energy efficiency, measuring ultra-fine particle effectiveness, micro-organism capture and reduction of odors and volatile organic compounds in the air.
Intellipure's Disinfecting Filtration System (DFS) is superior to HEPA standards
Each Intellipure unit is handcrafted, independently tested, and proven to be more efficient that HEPA filters
Only air purifier on the market that combats all three pollutant categories - Micro-organisms, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and Particles
Captures 99% of airborne particles down to .007 microns in size, this includes ultrafine particles (HEPA filters can only capture 99.97% of airborne particles down to .3 microns in size)
4.) Floor Renovations
During my husband's research for a quality air purifier, he read up on the differences between flooring options. We were due to replace our old carpet in our main living room, so we decided to replace it with hardwood floors. I love the look aesthetically and we both enjoy the cleaner feel. Carpet traps a lot of dirt, toddler messes, and dog hairs that cause lower air quality.
5.) Regular Cleaning
I'm still on the hunt for a new cleaning lady, but we try to maintain a regular cleaning schedule in order to keep cleaner air in our home. It's hard to keep up with three kids, but we try our best to rotate our rooms and keep up the regular schedule we've created for our home.
Be sure to use code SimplyEvery10 for 10% off an Intellipure Air Filter Unit.
Original Blog posted by Simply Every
