Keeping your home clean and healthy is not an easy thing to do as harmful bacteria, viruses and toxins are lurking from each corner. Therefore, you need to clean it on a regular basis to prevent any issues that might occur due to various pollutants. Cleaning surfaces is not nearly enough to keep your home toxin-free. It’s important to pay attention to the quality of the air you’re breathing if you want to make your home truly safe and healthy.

There are several ways to ensure a good ventilation and high quality air in your home. If you want to do everything you can in order to breathe healthy, read these essential tips on how to improve indoor air quality.

One of the best methods to remove pollutants from the indoor air is duct cleaning. There are many reasons to clean the ducts, but the most important one is the fact that dust mites live inside the heating and cooling ducts from which they enter your home and travel to carpets, mattresses and air, causing respiratory issues and allergies.

How frequently should you clean the ducts? It should be done once per year, but whenever you notice mold on heating and cooling components, you should do it immediately. A proper cleaning includes cleaning all of the components and the inside of the heating and ventilating system and applying disinfectant.

Having your air ducts cleaned won’t endanger your health if it’s done properly. So, if you don’t have experience in duct cleaning and you don’t have the necessary tools, it would be probably best to call the professionals who will get everything out of your ducts: harmful microbes, mould, dead insects and small animals, dust mites and debris.

Here’s another good tip: minimize the use of dangerous chemicals. Cleaning products are full of ingredients that can harm your skin and lungs. Always choose low-emitting, green and safe products that have been labeled with Green Seal. If possible, make your own cleaning products, based on lavender, lemon and vinegar.

Dust mites are attracted to warm and humid air, so make sure that you keep your home dry. Relative humidity levels should be lower than 50 percent (somewhere between 30 and 50). If you live in extremely humid climate, think about using dehumidifiers to control moisture and allergens. Make sure that there are no water leaks and open windows after you take a bath.

We all love when our homes smell nice. However, using synthetic fragrances is never a good idea. Chemicals that can be found in air fresheners are far from safe and they are rarely listed on the labels. Avoid risks of using synthetic scents and use only 100 percent organic, natural fresheners or perfume the air in your home with essential oils or slices of lemon or orange.

The last, but not the least important tip (and certainly the easiest one): always open the windows (at least 15 minutes per day) and let fresh air into all rooms. Also, don’t smoke in your home. Smoking cigarettes will surely decrease the quality of indoor air as cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 harmful chemicals!