3 Important Steps to Improve Air Quality
Improving air quality requires a strategic approach focused on three key steps: source control, ventilation, and air cleaning—listed in order of importance.
1. Source control
Source control is the most effective way to enhance air quality because it eliminates or reduces pollutants at their origin, preventing contaminants from entering the environment in the first place.
2. Ventilation
Once sources are managed, ventilation plays a crucial role by bringing in fresh outdoor air and diluting any remaining pollutants.
3. Air cleaning
Finally, air cleaning—through filters or air purifiers—serves as a supplementary measure to remove particles that persist after source control and ventilation have been optimized. Together, these steps form a comprehensive framework for creating healthier indoor air.
Step 1 Outdoor
Source Control
Reduce or eliminate pollution at its origin. Outdoor source control strategies include:
- Transportation: Shift to EVs/clean fuels; cut idling and congestion.
- Energy use: Promote renewable energy; phase down coal and oil.
- Industry: Install emission controls and switch to cleaner processes.
Step 1 Indoor
Source Control
Keep pollutants from building up where you live and work.
- Choose low-VOC, fragrance-free paints/cleaners/furnishings.
- Limit combustion (gas stoves, candles, fireplaces); vent cooking air outdoors.
- Control moisture: fix leaks, ventilate baths, keep RH ~30–50%, dust often.
Step 2
Ventilation
Use outdoor air strategically to dilute pollutants indoors.
- When outdoor air is clean: open windows or boost fresh-air intake.
- When outdoor air is dirty (wildfire smoke, high PM2.5): close windows and use air purifier.
Step 3
Air cleaning and verification
Filter what ventilation can’t remove.
- Choose right: use HyperHEPA, sized to the room.
- Verify performance: use an indoor monitor; PM2.5 should drop when purifier runs; if not, increase fan speed or check windows/doors.
Common outdoor pollutants
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A colorless, odorless gas generated from natural sources or from vehicle emissions, industrial processes, and burning fossil fuels.
Seasonal plant particles that commonly trigger allergies and asthma.
Microscopic particulate matter generated through vehicles and industrial emissions and wildfire smoke.
Large particulate matter measuring 10 microns in diameter or smaller, including smoke, mold, dust, soot, and salts.
Tiny particulate matter measuring 1.0 microns or smaller that can reach deep into the lungs; these often carry toxic carcinogens on the surface.
Ultrafine particles (<0.1 microns) from vehicle exhaust and combustion; penetrate deep into lungs and bloodstream and linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
Light-absorbing soot from diesel engines, wildfires, and industrial emissions; contributes to lung damage, climate change, and reduced air visibility.
Where pollution starts indoors
Kitchen
- Main culprits: Gas combustion (NO₂, CO, formaldehyde) and cooking ultrafine particles.
- What to do: Use a hood that exhausts outdoors (approx. 200 CFM or higher, sized to the kitchen). Turn it on before cooking and leave it running a few minutes after.
Living areas
- Main culprits: Dust, pet dander, tracked-in particles, VOCs from furniture, paints, or cleaners.
- What to do: Vacuum with a HEPA filter, keep humidity 30–50%, and choose VOC-free products when possible.
Bathrooms
- Main culprits: Moisture, mold spores, VOCs from cleaners and personal care products.
- What to do: Run the exhaust fan during and 20–30 minutes after showers, dry damp surfaces, and repair leaks promptly.
Bedrooms
- Main culprits: Dust mites, pet dander, VOCs from mattresses and furnishings.
- What to do: Wash bedding regularly, consider keeping pets out, and run a quiet purifier overnight.
Garages & basements
- Main culprits: Vehicle exhaust, solvents/fuels, stored chemicals; possible soil gases.
- What to do: Ventilate well, seal the garage-to-home boundary, and store chemicals in tightly sealed containers away from living spaces.
Common indoor pollutants
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Tiny particles 2.5 microns or smaller that reach deep into the lungs and bloodstream.
Seasonal plant particles that drift indoors and commonly trigger allergies and asthma.
A combustion gas from cooking and heaters; linked to asthma symptoms and reduced lung function.
Gases released from paints, cleaners, furniture, and building materials that can irritate eyes and lungs.
Airborne microbes that can spread illness; filtration and ventilation help reduce exposure.
Dust mites, pet dander, and mold spores that trigger allergic reactions and asthma; reduced by cleaning and air filtration.
Get the full picture with AirVisual monitors
Indoor air quality doesn’t exist in isolation—outdoor pollution can infiltrate your indoor spaces.
Use AirVisual Outdoor to track your neighborhood’s real-time air pollution, and pair it with AirVisual Pro to measure the air inside your home, school, or office.
Together, they show you how outdoor air affects your indoor environment and help you decide when to ventilate or rely on filtration.
- AirVisual Outdoor: accurate, hyper-local outdoor air data.
- AirVisual Pro: live readings of indoor particle pollution, CO₂, temperature.
- View both: see indoor vs. outdoor data side by side on the AirVisual App or Dashboard to understand and improve your exposure to pollution.
Track your air with the AirVisual App
Historical, live, real-time, and forecast air pollution (5,000+ cities, 100+ countries)
7-day air and weather forecasts
Air quality alerts and notifications
Air pollution news and educational resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Control pollutant sources, ventilate wisely, and filter the air—then verify with monitoring.
Ventilate when outdoor air is good; keep windows closed and rely on filtration when outdoor AQ is poor (e.g., wildfire smoke).
Yes—high-efficiency filtration removes fine smoke particles that impact health.
Indoor air monitoring verifies filtration results, guides ventilation timing, and alerts you when conditions change. Outdoor air monitoring allows you to understand the bigger picture, as outdoor pollution can infiltrate your indoor spaces.
References
¹ In independent laboratory testing, the HyperHEPA filter was >99.9% effective at filtering Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, and the HealthPro series air cleaner with HyperHEPA filter was >99.9% effective at filtering Staphylococcus albus bacteria, and ≥99.52% effective at filtering Escherichia coli bacteria.
² In independent laboratory testing, the HealthPro series air cleaner with HyperHEPA filter achieved 99.9% reduction of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus, and >99.9% reduction of Human coronavirus HCoV-229E (ATCC VR-740), and >99.9% reduction of Human enterovirus 71 (ATCC VR-1432).
