INFOGRAPHY - 5 actions to improve indoor air quality in your building

1 - Ventilate buildings daily

One of the first steps towards improving Indoor Air Quality in your home is to ensure that you have adequate ventilation in your indoor spaces. Regularly opening the windows in your home to allow fresh air to circulate is essential. This renews the indoor air and reduces levels of pollutants and carbon dioxide (CO2).

Here are some practical steps you can easily take in your home:

• Air your living rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms for 10 minutes each morning and evening;
• Clean the VMC vents in your home every quarter and have them checked regularly by a professional;
• Do not block the grilles or extract units in your home.

These simple steps will improve air quality in your home and contribute to a healthier environment.

2 - Use eco-friendly cleaning products

Common cleaning products can contain harmful chemicals that can affect the Indoor Air Quality of your home. Opting for ecological and natural cleaning products is a healthier alternative for your home. They are generally made from non-toxic, biodegradable ingredients, reducing the amount of chemicals in your home's indoor air. What's more, avoiding artificial fragrances and air fresheners can also contribute to better air quality in your home.

Discover our tips for avoiding pollutants in your home:

• Use as few different products as possible in your home;
• Use labels (Ecocert, NF, Nature et Progrès or Ecolabel) for cleaning products in your home;
• Use natural, unprocessed products (white vinegar, black soap, bicarbonate of soda, lemon, etc.) in your home;
• Avoid cleaners with ‘danger’ pictograms, those with extra power, bleach, sprays and aerosols in your home;
• Use electrostatic or damp textiles to avoid re-suspending dust in your home;
• Maintain wallpaper, rugs, carpets, sofas and other textiles in your home regularly.

These simple gestures will help to keep the air in your home healthy and pleasant.

3 - Check the humidity of your structure

Maintaining an appropriate level of humidity is crucial to good Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). Too much humidity can encourage the growth of mould and bacteria, while air that is too dry can lead to respiratory problems and irritation. Using a humidifier or dehumidifier as required can help maintain optimum humidity levels in our homes. It's also important to repair water leaks and air bathrooms and kitchens regularly to prevent moisture build-up. Adequate ventilation is essential for controlling humidity and preventing the formation of mould. Ensuring regular ventilation in rooms such as bathrooms and kitchens is crucial to maintaining healthy air. A balanced relative humidity level is between 30% and 70%. Ventilation is therefore a key factor in ensuring good indoor air quality and preventing moisture-related problems.

For a healthy building, the following actions are necessary:

• Clean up traces of mould;
• Ventilate after a shower, during or after cooking and turn on the extractor fan when cooking.

4 - Eliminate the main sources of pollution

Identifying and eliminating sources of pollution is an important step towards improving Indoor Air Quality. Common pollutants such as cigarette smoke, construction chemicals, floor coverings and furniture, as well as combustion products, can all contribute to the deterioration of indoor air quality. Limiting or eliminating these sources can significantly reduce the presence of harmful pollutants in the air we breathe.

To eliminate the main sources of pollution, you can :

• Don't smoke indoors, even with the window open: the pollutants remain in the air and are absorbed by the textiles in the room, then gradually released;
• Choose second-hand or solid wood furniture;
• Ventilate if you smell something annoying, and avoid scented candles, incense or home perfumes, which are sources of VOC emissions.

5 - Embellish your home with depolluting plants

As well as providing a decorative element, introducing depolluting plants into our interiors can also be beneficial. Plants naturally absorb atmospheric pollutants and help to improve air quality.

Clean up your home with plants, in just a few simple steps:

• Avoid insecticides and pesticides and use natural methods instead;
• Change the soil you use for your plants, as moulds can accumulate there;
• Avoid allergenic plants (pollen, grasses).

Improving indoor air quality is an ongoing process that requires the adoption of simple but effective everyday gestures. By properly ventilating our indoor spaces, using eco-friendly cleaning products, controlling humidity, eliminating sources of pollution, using air filters and depolluting plants, and raising awareness of the importance of IAQ, we can create healthier indoor environments and preserve our well-being in the long term.