Owning a luxury home means maintaining high standards across the board, from making sure the lawn is well-manicured to building the interior with top-of-the-line materials. Therefore, luxury homeowners must invest in maintenance to ensure that their multi-million-dollar home always looks and functions at its best. After all, who doesn’t want to live comfortably?
Among the many things that homeowners must maintain is their home’s indoor air quality (IAQ). As the name suggests, IAQ is the quality of air inside a home in relation to the homeowner’s health and quality of life. A home with poor IAQ can cause a wide range of health problems, including allergies, respiratory concerns, and other chronic conditions. In addition to its impact on health, poor IAQ can make the home uncomfortable due to how humid it tends to be, and can lead to reduced productivity.
As you can see, maintaining a good IAQ is the key to having a healthy and comfortable home environment. As a luxury homeowner, there are many steps you can take to decrease the risk of pollutants and make sure the air inside your home is clean and safe to breathe. Here’s how:
Change your HVAC filters regularly
To maintain your home’s IAQ, HVACs are equipped with filters that get rid of common air pollutants, including pet dander, pollen, and dust. But over time, these filters can become clogged due to the captured particles, which reduces the HVAC’s effectiveness and forces it to work twice as hard to maintain proper airflow.
By changing HVAC filters every 90 days, you can ensure that your unit continues to get rid of pollutants from the air. Furthermore, you can improve the performance of your HVAC unit, reduce your electricity costs, and increase the lifespan of your unit, which reduces the need for costly repairs and replacements.
If you don’t have the time to change your HVAC filters, consider hiring a company that provides full-service property maintenance. They can create reminders for HVAC filter changes and schedule maintenance visits to your home.
Buy an air purifier
Pollutants are microscopic, but here’s the good news: you can capture them using an air purifier. This is a device that uses a series of filters, such as activated carbon filters, HEPA filters, or UV-C lights, to trap particles (e.g. dust, pollen, mold spores, pet dander), so that they don’t circulate in the air. Furthermore, air purifiers can reduce unpleasant odors caused by cooking, pets, or other sources thanks to their built-in activated carbon filters.
While you won’t be able to get rid of the pollutants completely, you can significantly reduce their count. That way, you can have a healthier, more comfortable living environment, and you will be able to breathe much better.
Be mindful of humidity
Another factor that strongly influences IAQ is the level of humidity (i.e. the amount of water vapor) in the air. In homes with high humidity levels, mold and mildew are more likely to grow—these can cause respiratory problems and other chronic health concerns. Since mold and mildew thrive in damp environments, it’s crucial to remove excess moisture in the air with the use of dehumidifiers. Conversely, when the air is too dry, you can use a humidifier to add moisture to the air.
Aim to maintain a humidity level of anywhere between 30% and 50% — at this level, the air is comfortable for most people.
Clean your carpets
Carpets can make your home look comfortable, but they can also trap a wide range of airborne particles, including dust, dirt, and pet dander (pet owners will be all too familiar with this!). In addition, carpets can harbor bacteria and mold spores, which can lower your IAQ. With that said, cleaning your carpets should be part of your strategy for improving IAQ. Be sure to vacuum them regularly, or if your home’s floors are covered in carpet, consider hiring a luxury maintenance company to have them expertly cleaned.
Let the air in
Are your windows always closed? Without fresh air coming into the home, indoor air can become stale and stuffy. So if you’ve noticed that the indoor air smells funky, it’s time for a simple solution: open your windows!
Another cause of musty indoor air is moisture—this can occur when there is a leak or water damage in any part of the home (typically the basement), or when there is poor ventilation in bathrooms. You can improve your home’s ventilation by making sure your air ducts are clean and unobstructed (more on this later), and by dealing with unwanted moisture. You can do this by conducting regular maintenance inspections either by yourself or with the help of a home maintenance company.
Clean your air ducts
Air ducts, which circulate hot and cold air throughout your home, can also circulate contaminants if they aren’t maintained properly. They can accumulate dust, debris, and other pollutants over time, and this buildup can reduce their efficiency and reduce IAQ. To make sure your ducts circulate only clean air, don’t forget to clean them regularly.
One sign that your air ducts need cleaning is that their grills are dusty. So if you notice that your white grills now look grey, call a professional—keep in mind that cleaning air ducts is a complex job, so it’s best to leave it to the pros.
Add indoor plants
Want a natural way to filter out pollutants in the air? Why not fill your home with low-maintenance plants such as chrysanthemums (mums), peace lilies, and aloe vera? Not only will the air be noticeably cleaner, but they can also enhance your home’s aesthetics. However, be very careful when choosing which plants to bring outdoors—some can cause more harm than good, especially if they trigger your allergies.
Hire a luxury maintenance company to ensure comfort in your home
A luxury maintenance company such as Luxury Property Care can help improve your home’s comfort levels in many ways. From performing regular HVAC maintenance to cleaning your home from floor to ceiling, we’ll ensure that the air in your home is always clean, allowing you to have the quality of life that’s only fitting for a luxury homeowner.