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Working from home, schooling from home and colder weather mean people are spending more hours a day indoors than before the coronavirus pandemic began.
All that time inside makes keeping your indoor air pollutant-free more important than ever. If you're working on-site or in an office, you can decrease the risk of contracting the coronavirus there, too.

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Indoor air quality can be tainted by common home pollutants like asbestos, radon, mold, household chemicals and cigarette smoke; in some parts of the country, the smoke from wildfires can add to the problem. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that indoor air might be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air.
Easy strategies like proper ventilation and low-cost fixes like air purifiers and filters can all help. While green plants may look nice, experts say they don't have much impact on the air quality in your home. Here are some ways to clean up your home's air environment.
Improve ventilation
Most people don't think about indoor air quality unless they experience health symptoms that can include headaches, aggravated allergies, elevated asthma, fatigue, coughing, dry eyes and skin rashes.
"We know that particles — aerosols or small solids or liquids suspended in the air, like dust, smoke, smog or oil from cooking — have negative health effects ranging from respiratory lung disease to cardiovascular issues,” says Delphine Farmer, an associate professor of chemistry at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.
An indoor air quality monitor will tell you how many particles you have in your house — though be skeptical of those that claim to detect everything — but you can also just use your nose, suggests Farmer.
"If there's a smoke event or you live near a busy road, you can generally smell or see that the air quality isn't good,” she says.
Inexpensive fixes can make a big difference, says Jamie Gold, 60, a wellness design consultant in San Diego and author of Wellness By Design. Start by opening a window (unless your area is experiencing smoke from wildfires) — a strategy recommended by the EPA to improve ventilation and lower the risk of contracting COVID-19.
"It's ideal to have the best-ventilated space and as much fresh air as you can get. That's true during a pandemic, and it's true in general,” says Gold.