Indoor air quality matters a great deal for your long-term health. Still, many homeowners and renters make the mistake of ignoring this extremely important aspect of daily life. The price of such negligence can be steep. It may result in some acute respiratory issues. At worst, it could cause chronic illnesses or even cancer. 

But worry not, because with the air quality best practices we’ve outlined in this article, you can improve your home’s IAQ easily. 

What are Indoor Air Quality Best Practices?

Indoor air quality best practices are simple, proven strategies that help you keep the air inside your home clean and fresh. They help you get rid of dust, chemicals, harmful gases, and other contaminants that make breathing harder. 

These practices are crucial because the air inside your home can have 2 to 5 times more pollutants than outside air, as per the EPA.

The American Lung Association has a starker revelation: Indoor air can sometimes be 100 times worse than outdoor air.

This is worrying, but the right steps can improve your home’s IAQ tremendously. They help you breathe easier by:

• Cutting down on dust and allergens
• Reducing harmful chemicals
• Helping you sleep better
• Preventing the growth of mold
• Minimizing your exposure to harmful chemicals 
  

7 IAQ Best Practices to Make Your Home Safer in 2026

Thanks to modern technological innovation and traditional wisdom, improving indoor air quality has never been easier. With a clear plan and the necessary changes, you can improve your IAQ drastically and maintain it that way. 

So, what are these best practices that we can’t stop talking about? Let’s get into the details. 

1. Ventilate Your Home Well

Ventilation is an air quality best practice that is important for every home. It is the process through which stale indoor air is replaced with fresher and cleaner air. When done right, it removes the air pollutants, excess moisture, and harmful chemicals that build up inside your home every day. 

There are two ways to ventilate your home: natural ventilation and mechanical ventilation. 

Natural Ventilation: This is as simple as opening your windows and doors to let fresh air flow through your home. To make natural ventilation effective, try opening windows or doors on opposite sides. This creates a cross-breeze that naturally pushes all the stale air out.  

Mechanical Ventilation: This method relies on exhaust fans, air vents, and HVAC systems to get the air moving in and out of your house. This option is particularly useful in homes that are tightly sealed or in rooms that have no windows. 

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, whole-house mechanical ventilation has the following benefits:

• 42% reduction in radon levels 
• 30% reduction in carbon dioxide levels
• 7% reduction in formaldehyde levels 

2. Keep Humidity at Optimal Levels 

Humidity refers to the level of water vapor present in the air. While it sounds simple, it is a tricky thing to master. If it’s too low, your skin, eyes, and throat dry out. This means you’re more likely to catch colds and other infections. Nosebleeds are also common if the humidity is too low.

On the other hand, if it’s too high, it gives spores the perfect condition to germinate. These spores settle on surfaces like floors, ceilings, and walls, and grow into mold and mildew. Dust mites also thrive in high humidity. 

To avoid the ill effects of either extreme, the EPA recommends that homes maintain indoor humidity levels of 30% to 50%. 

To effectively implement this best practice, here’s what you can do: 

• Fix any water leaks as soon as you spot them
• Get a hygrometer to track indoor humidity levels 
• Use a dehumidifier when the humidity climbs over 50%
• Run a humidifier if the humidity falls below 30%
• Turn on the exhaust fans when you’re cooking or showering

When you follow these practices, it becomes easier to prevent the growth of mold, which also contributes to poor indoor air quality. 

3. Opt for Low-VOC or No-VOC Products

VOCs are volatile organic compounds. As the name indicates, these compounds easily evaporate even at room temperature. They then remain suspended in the air, and when you breathe in this air, you also inhale the VOCs.

But why’s that so bad?

The answer lies in how exposure to VOCs can affect you. Symptoms range from mild breathing difficulties to even cancer, as per the American Lung Association. Here’s how they can affect your health:

• Nose, throat, and eye irritation
• Headaches 
• Nausea 
• Allergic skin reaction
• Dizziness
• Fatigue 

So, what can you do to protect yourself from the ill effects of these compounds? That’s easy. You need to avoid the products that typically release these VOCs in high concentrations. These products include paints, cosmetics, cleaning products, dyes, and fragrances. 

Instead, choose low-VOC or no-VOC alternatives to these common products. 

Here’s how you can find and select such replacements:

• Look for ‘low-VOC’ or ‘no-VOC’ labels on products
• Choose water-based paints instead of oil-based options
• Check for certifications like Green Seal or GREENGUARD Gold
• Pick fragrance-free versions of cosmetics and personal care items
• Read ingredient lists and avoid products with harsh chemicals
• Let new furniture or materials air out before use

4. Use Air Purifiers With Carbon and HEPA Filters

When you’re struck by the motivation to switch things up at home, you may do a round of deep cleaning or even purchase an air purifier on an impulse. However, it’s not enough if you choose any random purifier. 

In keeping with the best practices for air quality improvement, you must use air purifiers that come with HEPA filters or carbon filters. 

• HEPA Filters: HEPA is an abbreviation for High-Efficiency Particulate Air. These filters capture around 99.97% of minute particles like dust, mold spores, pet dander, and pollen. They’re highly capable of trapping particles even as small as 0.3 microns. 
• Carbon Filters: Carbon filters use activated carbon to absorb gases, odors, and other chemical vapors. They’re especially good at removing VOCs, cooking vapors, and smoke, leaving the air indoors cleaner and fresher. 
  

Here’s how the two types of filters compare:

So, what are the best practices for choosing air filters? Look for one with both types of filters. This way, you get complete protection from harmful particles and gases. 

And here’s a pro tip: before and after you use an air purifier, get your home’s indoor air quality tested. That way, you’ll have a baseline to compare with and see if the appliance is doing its job.

InHaus Lab can help you with this. Get in touch with us today, and we’ll share a quote in just 30 minutes.

5. Monitor Radon and Carbon Monoxide Levels

Radon and carbon monoxide are both odorless, invisible gases that find their way into households across the country from various sources. Here’s what you should know about these two gases that contaminate indoor air. 

Here’s what you can do to monitor the levels of carbon monoxide and radon in your home. 

• Install carbon monoxide detectors on every floor
• Place these detectors near bedrooms 
• Test your CO detectors every month
• Replace the CO detector batteries every six months or as directed
• Use a radon test kit for a quick check
• Get professional radon testing done every 2 years
• Retest radon levels after any major home renovations or foundation work

6. Take Care of Your HVAC Systems

Your HVAC systems include all heating and cooling equipment like furnaces, air conditioners, thermostats, and all associated ductwork. Together, they help heat and cool your home as needed. But that’s not all they do. They also take care of ventilation and air circulation. 

If the HVAC filters are clogged or if these systems do not function optimally, your home’s air flow may be compromised. And here’s why that can be dangerous:

• Air pollutants and contaminants have no way to exit your home
• They accumulate and build up in the air inside 
• When you breathe, you inhale this air and the pollutants
• They lead to acute or chronic health issues over time
  

This is why it is crucial to change the filters at the right intervals. Many homeowners let the filters of HVAC systems clog up with dust for far too long. This post on Reddit tackles the subject of how frequently filters must be changed.

Aside from regularly changing or replacing the filters, here are the other best practices you can follow to keep your HVAC symptoms running effectively:

• Schedule professional HVAC inspections twice yearly
• Clean the air vents regularly
• Keep outdoor units clear of debris
• Check thermostat settings and batteries seasonally
• Seal any ductwork leaks you find
• Don't block vents with furniture or curtains
• Ensure proper airflow around all units
• Replace aging systems before they fail

7. Schedule a Professional Indoor Air Quality Test

Every set of strategies needs a litmus test, so you can assess how far you’ve come and how far you need to go. For air quality best practices, this litmus test happens to be a professional IAQ assessment for your home. 

In everyday life, you can rely on handy tools like hygrometers (to check moisture levels), radon and CO detectors, DIY mold test kits, and an indoor air quality monitor. But it is a good idea to schedule an expert IAQ test every two or three years. 

This is because professionals usually find what DIY methods overlook. A scheduled expert IAQ test helps your home’s air quality because it:

• Detects pollutants you cannot see or smell
• Uses advanced equipment to give you accurate readings
• Identifies hidden mold in crawlspaces and behind walls
• Tests for dozens of contaminants simultaneously
• Identifies the source of the problem, not just the presence of contaminants 
• Offers extensive lab analysis 
• Delivers comprehensive reports with actionable solutions

The Best Thing You Can Do For Your Home? Get Your IAQ Tested

All the practices we’ve discussed in this article can help make your home safer for everybody in your family. That said, the most important thing is to get your home’s IAQ assessed. Only if you know what contaminants are present in your home can you take the necessary steps to get rid of them.

Home air quality tests also help you check if the best practices you’ve followed are delivering results. 

So, why wait to make your home and your life healthier? 

Start today. Schedule a home IAQ test with InHaus Lab.

We have tested over $100 million worth of homes in Aspen, Minneapolis, Vail, Denver, and surrounding areas, and we’ve helped over 80% of these homeowners find hidden health threats in their houses. With InHaus Lab, you too can identify risks in your indoor air quality and take measures to remove them.  

Air Quality Best Practices FAQs

1. What are the most common sources of poor indoor air quality in modern homes?

Since modern homes are tightly insulated for energy efficiency, the air indoors is usually stagnant. This makes houses susceptible to pollutants like VOCs from paint and cleaning products, mold from moisture, pet dander, and harmful gases like radon and carbon monoxide. 

2. How often should I test my indoor air quality in 2026?

For regular monitoring, you can use continuous smart monitors that give you real-time data about your IAQ. However, it is also a good idea to schedule a professional air testing appointment every two to three years. 

3. What is the optimal level of humidity for a healthy home?

A healthy home should ideally have humidity levels in the range of 30% to 50%. This range is high enough to avoid respiratory issues but low enough to prevent the growth of mold. 

4. Are natural ventilation methods more effective than mechanical systems?

Natural ventilation is essential in every home, but it is unpredictable, and it can expose your home to outdoor pollutants. It may also not be feasible in places with cold weather. Mechanical systems, however, are relatively more effective because they filter the air and provide consistent airflow. 

5. What are the benefits of using HEPA-certified air purifiers?

HEPA-certified purifiers trap over 99% of particles in the air, sometimes even those as small as 0.3 microns. They help remove pollen, smoke, and viruses, and significantly improve the quality of life for people suffering from allergies.

---

References:

• EPA, “Why Indoor Air Quality is Important to Schools”
• American Lung Association, “Clean Air Indoors” 
• U.S. Department of Energy
• EPA, “Care for Your Air: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality”
• American Lung Association, “Are Your Personal Care Products Safe? What You Need to Know”
• Reddit