6 Ways to Keep Your Office Air Clean

Many of us pay little or no attention to the quality of the air we breathe- if nothing smells off, it’s probably fine, right? That is not the case. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that indoor air quality is often worse than air quality outside, which is a serious concern when Americans spend up to 90% of their time inside.

Pollution such as dirt, dust and skin cells build up quickly in an enclosed space.

Even though air quality does not consciously register in many people’s minds, it can have a measurable impact on one’s health and wellbeing. Some studies have shown a positive correlation between air quality and productivity.

Read on for six effective ways to improve the quality of the air inside your office!

1. Deep clean

Often, dust and dirt become deeply embedded into the carpets and furniture in a workplace. If you can see the dust whenever you move your files, there is a problem!

It is important to clean your office regularly. Mop all your hard surfaces (in kitchens, desktops and use a vacuum with a strong filter to remove all the dust and dirt from your surroundings. Cleaning frequently 

2. Improve ventilation

Enclosing air for long periods of time in small spaces leads to too much CO2 in the air, along with other indoor allergens such as skin cells, dander, heavy metals and dust.

The simple way to remove these toxins is to open a window. Improving ventilation, whether through opening a window or keeping air ducts open allows the pollution to filter out of the office and allows the clean, fresh air in. 

3. Maintain proper air filters

Air filters help to prevent pollution from entering your office space by catching it in some form of netting or fabric. However, there is only so much debris and pollution an air filter can deal with.

Properly maintaining air filters includes regularly conducting inspections and cleaning them. Going further, you could bring in an inspector or industry professional who went through home inspection classes to maintain your home-system and measure your air quality. 

4. Use plants

Air quality involves more than just reducing microfibers in the air. The ratio of oxygen to carbon dioxide is important to our health- too little oxygen and our internal organs and brain begins to suffer.

Adding indoor plants to your office is a fantastic, aesthetically pleasing way to improve the oxygen content of your office. Plants naturally convert the carbon dioxide we exhale into pure oxygen as part of photosynthesis. Furthermore, plants help to regulate the humidity indoors, and they improve the overall aesthetic atmosphere in a room. 

5. Invest in an air purifier

One more component of air purity is reducing microfibers in the air that are small enough to pass through the air filters and get stuck on surfaces. These include viruses, bacteria, and small amounts of heavy metals.

Just cleaning does not remove these pollutants. A good way to truly remove those pollutants is to invest in an air purifier. Just stay clear of ones that use UV light or ozone, as they can be harmful in small spaces. 

6. Stay natural

A final aspect of keeping the air clean is chemicals and cleaning products. Although we might use cleaning products to remove dirt, the chemicals left behind can be more harmful to our health than the dirt ever was.

When you clean in the office, try to stay clear of synthetic fragrances, aerosol sprays, or heavy-duty cleaning supplies like bleach. Switching to mild cleaners and natural cleaning supplies protects the air (and your lungs) from those harsh chemicals.

Improving the air quality in your office is relatively simple and will have lasting payout in the form of higher productivity and less sickness from employees or colleagues. Hopefully this article gave you some ideas to start! Good luck!

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