Having a stuffy home is incredibly unpleasant, but it can be a difficult decision to ventilate the entire house with sub-zero temperatures outside. Having freezing air coursing through the home at 7 am for the bulk of the year isn’t exactly everyone’s cup of tea. There are some great alternatives to this that we will talk about here, along with some tips for achieving better ventilation.

Bring in some plants

You may be surprised to find out that you’re not the only one coming through your front door each day – bacteria, dust, toxic particles and other pollutants leak into our homes each day, and as they are invisible they are almost impossible to remove. It’s good to know our photosynthesizing friends can help!

I’m talking about the big and leafy rubber tree, the elegant and eternal English Ivy, the feminine Lady Palm, the resilient and exotic Chinese Evergreen. These plants can do wonders for the air quality inside your home, so place them wherever you can, preferably near some windows where they will get the light they need to survive.

Ventilate better

As much as it is tempting to block up our windows and doors to prevent drafts, this could have a serious negative effect on the health of people in that house! Stuffy homes mean unhealthy lungs, and potential for harmful mould. You can improve ventilation by installing extractor fans at strategic zones of your home, or by investing in some replacement windows which will eliminate the need to do any winter blocking.

You will also get better energy efficiency in your home, and retain warmth better! With new windows, choose the styles that allow for the most ventilation such as tilt and turn windows or windows with two openings.

Use natural alternatives

If you’re low on funds or simply like to live ecologically, here are some natural air purifiers. You can burn beeswax candles which produce almost no smoke, and could remove toxins (though this is not proven) – these are a great alternative to paraffin candles which release potentially harmful chemicals.

Other natural options include using activated charcoal (which remove bacteria, allergens, formaldehyde and an array of other air-borne pollutants). Pink Himalayan salt lamps are also used by many eco-people, as they do absorb odors and allergens, as well as producing a calming warm light!

Buy an oil diffuser

Some essential oils are fantastic at killing viruses, fungi and bacteria in the air like cinnamon, herbes de provence (oregano, rosemary and thyme), citrus (grapefruit, lemon), clove and tea tree essential oils.

Not only will your air actually be cleaner and doing your lungs a real service, your family and guests will enjoy lovely scents as they walk in the door. Also, although this does require an initial investment into the oil diffusing machine and associated essential oils, this costs little to nothing to run and can be left unattended to do its thing!

Make some lifestyle changes

Aside from making purchases, there are some things you yourself can do to improve the air quality in your home, and you can start by taking off your shoes when you come inside! You will avoid tracking ash, pesticides, dirt and other chemicals you pick up on the street into your home.

Another great idea is to choose non-toxic house cleaners and to dust your house often with a damp cloth. Make sure you clean your carpets often, too, since they pick up a lot of dust and things on the bottom of your shoes. Remember to change your linens often too, they gather tons of dust.

If you follow some of these tips, you’ll be well on your way to clearer air inside your home! Do you have any tips of your own to share? What methods do you use?