{"id":3192,"date":"2017-05-18T13:37:45","date_gmt":"2017-05-18T17:37:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/?p=3192"},"modified":"2019-03-31T16:22:26","modified_gmt":"2019-03-31T20:22:26","slug":"improve-indoor-air-quality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/improve-indoor-air-quality\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Improve Indoor Air Quality by Reducing Clutter"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Millions of Canadians suffer from seasonal allergies caused by outdoor irritants.<\/p>\n<p>While it\u2019s impossible to avoid allergens caused by the external environment, it is possible to improve indoor air quality in your home.<\/p>\n<p>Reducing clutter is one of the best methods for accomplishing this.<\/p>\n<h3>Which allergens cause you to look for solutions to improve indoor air quality?<\/h3>\n<p>The most common forms of home allergens are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Dust allergens<\/strong> \u2013 dust mites are microscopic critters that are a common indoor allergy trigger. Dust mites\u00a0live off our dead skin cells, along with the dead skin shed by pets (known as dander). They\u00a0thrive in the more humid regions of your home\u00a0and are also typically found in bedding areas, carpets, rugs, blankets, upholstery, and drapes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Indoor pollen<\/strong> \u2013 pollen can makes its way in from outside via open entryways and be carried in by your home\u2019s occupants (including pets). Flowers and plants can also contribute to indoor pollen irritants.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mould allergens<\/strong> \u2013 any area of your home with high humidity levels (such as the bathroom, basement, and kitchen) can produce mould. The mould spores can become airborne and cause all sorts of potential health problems.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Chemical pollutants<\/strong> \u2013 a\u00a0wide range of chemical pollutants can trigger allergic reactions. Household cleaners,\u00a0a poorly ventilated stove, and formaldehyde found in carpets, curtains, and furniture can all be irritants. Even things as seemingly harmless as candles and dryer sheets can emit chemicals that cause allergic reactions in some people.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Why home clutter contributes to poor indoor air quality<\/h3>\n<p>Home allergens are impossible to fully eliminate. All homes, even ones that appear to be immaculately kept, harbour them\u00a0in some form.<\/p>\n<p>However, homes that are overrun by clutter become a haven for allergens to flourish. That\u2019s because\u00a0clutter gives allergens more surface area to occupy.<\/p>\n<p>Clutter also makes it much harder to clean your home, which gives allergens a more welcoming environment.<\/p>\n<p>Think about it \u2013 how often do you actually take the time to move those stacks of clutter in order to clean? The longer an area of your home is untouched with a vacuum or a wipe down with a damp cloth, the more allergens will accumulate.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll also improve indoor air quality by reducing clutter because the airflow in your home will be much better.\u00a0A critical component of healthy indoor air is the ability to maintain good air circulation. Reducing clutter makes this easier.<\/p>\n<h3>Improve indoor air quality\u00a0with these 11 allergen-reducing solutions<\/h3>\n<p>You can improve indoor air quality by using\u00a0these 11 solutions to reduce the levels of allergens\u00a0in your home:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Toss unnecessary clutter<\/strong> \u2013 purge unnecessary clutter from your home, which will open up space for air to flow more freely and make your home easier to clean.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use effective clutter-reducing solutions<\/strong> \u2013 consult an organization professional like Organized Interiors to\u00a0add the most effective clutter-reducing solutions to your home. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/reach-in-closets\/\">Closet organizers<\/a>\u00a0and custom bedroom cabinetry like wardrobes and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/bedroom-cabinetry\/\">bed surrounds<\/a>\u00a0(which eliminates open spaces underneath beds that attracts dust allergens) will help maximize storage space and keep your home\u00a0tidy.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Vacuum weekly<\/strong> \u2013 make sure you use a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.ca\/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=0ahUKEwij8cTr4_nTAhXJKyYKHa84D7sQFggwMAA&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FHEPA&amp;usg=AFQjCNHv_5m-5FTXARi6TDQAn4SuAP_HzA\">HEPA<\/a> filter in your vacuum to fully trap all dust particles and allergens.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eliminate bathroom mould<\/strong> \u2013 clean your bathroom tile with an effective mould-killing cleaner on a regular basis.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wash your bedding weekly <\/strong>\u2013<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>washing your bedding once a week in water that\u2019s at least 55\u02daC (130\u02daF) will kill dust mites. You may also want to buy special bedding that provides more protection from dust mites.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wash and brush pets outside weekly and keep them out of the bedroom<\/strong> \u2013 you\u2019ll reduce pet dander by cleaning them outside once a week. You can also reduce bedroom allergens by keeping this space off-limits to pets, especially the bed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Change your air conditioner and furnace filters regularly<\/strong> \u2013 professional opinion varies, but it\u2019s generally recommended these filters be changed every 1-3 months.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use a dehumidifier<\/strong> \u2013 a\u00a0dehumidifier prevents mould (remember to change the filter regularly).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Switch to hard floor surfaces<\/strong> \u2013 getting rid of carpeting and rugs\u00a0and switching to tile, hardwood, or\u00a0vinyl flooring will give allergens less places to hide.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Think twice about shampooing your carpets <\/strong>\u2013 if getting rid of carpeting isn\u2019t an option, be aware that shampooing them can attract even more dust mites or cause mould to grow.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use unscented detergents and cleaners<\/strong> \u2013 fragrance-free detergents and cleaners will be less likely to trigger allergic symptoms.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div id=\"attachment_3222\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3222\" class=\"wp-image-3222 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/bed-surround-2.jpg\" alt=\"improve indoor air quality bed surround\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/bed-surround-2.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/bed-surround-2-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/bed-surround-2-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/bed-surround-2-1024x536.jpg 1024w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1200px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1200\/628;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-3222\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A bed surround maximizes storage space and eliminates open space underneath the bed that attracts dust allergens.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3>Reducing clutter will improve indoor air quality <em>and<\/em> reduce your stress<\/h3>\n<p>Reducing the amount of clutter in your home won\u2019t just\u00a0improve your air quality.<\/p>\n<p>Research shows a strong link between occupants of homes with excess clutter having higher stress levels than occupants who are surrounded by less clutter. A clean, clutter-free home gives you one less thing to stress over, which should help you sleep better.<\/p>\n<p>The ability to improve home air quality by reducing clutter is well within your reach.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll help you achieve your goal of a tidy and healthy home environment\u00a0by getting you started with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/consultation\/\">complimentary in-home design consultation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h4>See also:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/eliminating-bedroom-clutter-sleep-deprivation\/\">Why Eliminating Bedroom Clutter Can Help With Sleep Deprivation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/cluttered-home-causes-stress\/\">Why A Cluttered Home Causes You Stress &amp; What You Can Do About It<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/how-to-reduce-clutter-with-better-storage-solutions\/\">How To Reduce Clutter With Better Storage Solutions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Millions of Canadians suffer from seasonal allergies caused by outdoor irritants. While it\u2019s impossible to avoid allergens caused by the external environment, it is possible to improve indoor air quality in your home. Reducing clutter is one of the best methods for accomplishing this. Which allergens cause you to look for solutions to improve indoor [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Improve Indoor Air Quality by Reducing Clutter<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There are many ways you can improve indoor air quality in your home. One of the most effective solutions is to reduce home clutter.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/improve-indoor-air-quality\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Improve Indoor Air Quality by Reducing Clutter\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There are many ways you can improve indoor air quality in your home. One of the most effective solutions is to reduce home clutter.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/improve-indoor-air-quality\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Organized Interiors Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OrganizedInteriors\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-05-18T17:37:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-03-31T20:22:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/bed-surround-2.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jay Kerr\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Organized_Int\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Organized_Int\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jay Kerr\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/improve-indoor-air-quality\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/improve-indoor-air-quality\/\",\"name\":\"How to Improve Indoor Air Quality by Reducing Clutter\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/improve-indoor-air-quality\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/improve-indoor-air-quality\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/bed-surround-2.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-05-18T17:37:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-03-31T20:22:26+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ed74071e4325b8d63502ce48de415022\"},\"description\":\"There are many ways you can improve indoor air quality in your home. One of the most effective solutions is to reduce home clutter.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/improve-indoor-air-quality\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/improve-indoor-air-quality\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/bed-surround-2.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/bed-surround-2.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":628},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Organized Interiors Blog\",\"description\":\"Organization tips for a clutter free life.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ed74071e4325b8d63502ce48de415022\",\"name\":\"Jay Kerr\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7f04ef29ad55a2843ac00f5468653f9f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7f04ef29ad55a2843ac00f5468653f9f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jay Kerr\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Improve Indoor Air Quality by Reducing Clutter","description":"There are many ways you can improve indoor air quality in your home. One of the most effective solutions is to reduce home clutter.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/improve-indoor-air-quality\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Improve Indoor Air Quality by Reducing Clutter","og_description":"There are many ways you can improve indoor air quality in your home. One of the most effective solutions is to reduce home clutter.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/improve-indoor-air-quality\/","og_site_name":"Organized Interiors Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OrganizedInteriors","article_published_time":"2017-05-18T17:37:45+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-03-31T20:22:26+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/bed-surround-2.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Jay Kerr","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Organized_Int","twitter_site":"@Organized_Int","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jay Kerr","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/improve-indoor-air-quality\/","url":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/improve-indoor-air-quality\/","name":"How to Improve Indoor Air Quality by Reducing Clutter","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/improve-indoor-air-quality\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/improve-indoor-air-quality\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/bed-surround-2.jpg","datePublished":"2017-05-18T17:37:45+00:00","dateModified":"2019-03-31T20:22:26+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ed74071e4325b8d63502ce48de415022"},"description":"There are many ways you can improve indoor air quality in your home. One of the most effective solutions is to reduce home clutter.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/improve-indoor-air-quality\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/improve-indoor-air-quality\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/bed-surround-2.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/bed-surround-2.jpg","width":1200,"height":628},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/","name":"Organized Interiors Blog","description":"Organization tips for a clutter free life.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ed74071e4325b8d63502ce48de415022","name":"Jay Kerr","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7f04ef29ad55a2843ac00f5468653f9f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7f04ef29ad55a2843ac00f5468653f9f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Jay Kerr"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3192"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3192"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3192\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6971,"href":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3192\/revisions\/6971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}