Ideas for Improving Your Homes Air Quality Too!

Have you ever walked into your home, taken a sniff, and wondered, “what is that?”  Even if it wasn’t a bad smell, after being closed up all winter, sometimes the air in our Locust Grove home doesn’t smell quite as fresh as we would like.  Pets and children also contribute to less than pleasant odors in the home.  Here are a few tricks for helping to keep the air in your Locust Grove home smelling fresh and clean this spring.

Clean Common Odor Producing Spots in Your Locust Grove Home

Clean the garbage disposal 

Food stuck inside the garbage disposal can rot and start to waft back into your kitchen.  There are products, like these, that will help to clean the disposal of your Locust Grove home with minimal effort.  You can also put a couple drops of liquid dish soap or baking soda followed by vinegar down the disposal and run hot water to loosen any debris.  Don’t forget to clean the rubber splash guard that is at the bottom of the sink.  Please turn off the power to the garbage disposal when you do this.  

Tackle the trash

Even with bags, trash cans get dirty.  On a nice day, take the can outside of your Locust Grove home and give it a good scrub with a hose.  You can also sprinkle a little baking soda in your trash bag as it will absorb odors.

Products for pet messes 

The unpleasant side of being a pet owner is unexpected accidents.  Even if you get to it right away, sometimes an odor tends to linger which invites the animal to make another mess in the same spot.  Use cleaning products targeted to break down the enzymes in urine to stop this.

Vacuum Frequently 

Vacuuming frequently can help to reduce the amount of dust.  Sprinkle some baking soda over the carpet, let it sit for a few hours, and then vacuum.  The baking soda can help absorb odors in the carpet.

Wash Curtains and Furniture

Curtains can collect odors in the air and hold onto them.  Make sure to give all your curtains a wash at least once a year.  While it may depend on the type of fabric you have on your couch, you may be able to give your furniture a clean too.  Here is a great article from HGTV about how to do it.

Ways to Keep the Air in Your Locust Grove Home Smelling Fresh While Improving Air Quality

Not only is it important to tackle the odor producers in your home, it is also important to consider the quality of the air in your Locust Grove home.  Since we spend a lot of time in our homes we want to make sure that the air we are breathing is healthy.

Open the windows

Early spring is a great time to open the windows of your Locust Grove home.  Switching out the air in your home, even if it is only for a few hours, can help push out any stale or kitchen smells.  It definitely gets harder to do this further into spring when pollen is out in full force.

Get some indoor plants

Not only do plants add interest to a space, they are great at cleaning the air and helping to rid it of chemicals like ammonia and formaldehyde .  Some noted for doing an excellent job at this include:

  • Snake plant
  • Boston Fern
  • Philodendrons
  • Peace Lily
  • Red Edged Dracaena
  • Pothos

If your Locust Grove home has pets, then it’s important to do a little research first as some houseplants can be toxic to pets when ingested.

Change the Air Filters

Every home has air filters.  These filters are meant to catch dust and debris.  However, when filters are full, they cannot do their job.  Regularly checking the filters once a month and changing when needed will help your air system run more efficiently.  You can find filters at any big box store.

Use low VOC paints

I can always tell when I walk into a freshly painted house because of the smell.  When you are painting a wall in your Locust Grove home, select a low VOC paint.  These paints release lower amounts of gasses, like formaldehyde acetaldehyde, that are a product of the paint and hang around even after the paint is dry.

Invest in an air purifier

While these are not going to remove every allergen and odor particle in your Locust Grove home, many people found them helpful.  There are different types on the market, so do a little research before you buy.  You want one that is meant for the square footage of your home, make sure it has a HEPA filter, and check out its energy star rating. 

Test for Radon 

Radon is an odorless gas that collects in homes as it escapes the ground through small holes or cracks.  While we can’t smell it, a high level of radon in your Locust Grove home will definitely bring down the air quality.  While the homes in Orange County are at a high level risk for radon, the only way to know if you have it is to test for it.  You can grab an at home test for radon here.