Whether you suffer from allergies or not, clean air in your home is a must. Otherwise you may be tempting fate and bringing on unnecessary health problems. Polluted indoor air can lead to symptoms such as coughing, burning eyes and stuffy nose. That’s bad enough, but you could have long-term effects such as respiratory disease and even lung cancer.

Here are some other things you can do to ensure clean air in your home:

Consistent Ventilation

One thing most people don’t realize is that they should regularly ventilate their home. Some people recommend that you ventilate your home three times a day for about 30 minutes each time.

Obviously, this is not a practical solution for people who work full-time jobs. But when weather permits, trying to open a window or two or even your patio door for about a half hour while you get ready in the morning and in the evening when you are cooking dinner.

Consistent Cleaning

Pollutants don’t always start from the air, they often come from the surface, including your bedding. Regular cleaning and drying up your sheets and pillowcases can help minimize risk for mice and bacteria.

The same holds true for your carpet. If you have a penchant for allergies it is best to minimize carpet in your home since it harbors dust particles and other pollutants. However, if you already have carpet in your home be sure to frequently vacuum and occasionally wash it.

Go Green… With Indoor Plants

Plants are one of the keys to sustaining life on Earth as it produces oxygen for the entire planet. So it makes total sense that certain plants are a wonderful choice for maintaining clean indoor air.

Use an Air Purifier

Air purifiers are an effective tool for maintaining clean air in your home. However, don’t think of an air purifier as a cure-all. It should only be used as a companion to your other air cleaning strategies. An air purifier will cost you anywhere from $100 to upwards of $500.

Change Air Filters Regularly

We all live busy lives, which means it is easy to forget some routine maintenance, such as changing the filters in our air-conditioning units. Dirty filters make for inefficient air conditioners and more pollution in your air. Not only will you see a higher energy bill, but you will also be more likely to show symptoms associated with unclean air.

The danger in poor air quality is that it is an invisible assailant. However if you use these tips you can be well on your way to ensuring your home is a place that you can breathe easily.

Jason Knapfel is Content Manager for Webfor, an Internet marketing company based in the Portland, Oregon metro area. One of the their clients is Clark County Mechanical, which repairs and installs heat pumps in Vancouver WA, among other HVAC projects.