Maintaining a healthy indoor environment is of vital importance. Not only can poor indoor air quality affect your lungs, breathing and respiratory system, but it can also aggravate allergies. However, we can keep our indoor air of the best quality in many ways.

Here are some tips for sustaining good indoor air quality in your offices and homes:

- During the winter months, it is very common for people to keep their windows shut most of the time. This causes the air inside to not circulate as much as it does during warmer seasons. Research has shown that the quality of air during the winter months is 1000% worse in homes than other times of the year. So simply opening your windows and balcony doors from time to time will improve the quality of your indoor air drastically. Allowing fresh, outdoor air to circulate through the house or office is very important.

- Avoid smoking indoors. This can be particularly challenging if you have a smoker in the house, or friends that smoke. Along with asking them to smoke outside, try creating an inviting area for smokers outside to encourage the smokers to go outside and keep the indoor air smoke-free. This can be difficult in the winter. However, even placing a small heater at the outdoor smoking are can make a huge difference. If smoking outside is not an option, ask smokers to smoke next to a ventilation fan. It is not the ideal situation, but it is better than letting them smoke anywhere.

- Do not leave your car idling in the garage. The exhaust fumes from your idling car can seep into the house through vents and gaps.

- Execute all activities that are pollutant-causing outside, such as painting and sanding.

- Make sure to use exhaust fans in your kitchen and bathrooms. Moisture and gases from cooking can encourage mould growth, which causes and aggravates allergies and respiratory conditions. It is also very important to keep ventilating fans clean and to replace the filters. This helps the air to be significantly clearer.

- It is a god ideal to consider installing a mechanical ventilation system. This system brings outdoor air inside. Some of these systems also include heat recovery ventilators.

- Make sure you monitor the humidity in your home and office. The percentage of humidity in the summer should be no more that 50 percent and no more than 30 percent in the winter.

- Check for and repair water damage from leaks that might lead to mould formation, and do this regularly. Check shingles for signs of deterioration and check for water damage in your attic. If water leaks through your roof, it can cause serious mould infestations. Also, ensure that your attic is well ventilated and insulated.

- To entrap particles that can set off allergies, put electronic air cleaners, ion generators and/or mechanical filters throughout the house.

- In many cases, homes built before 1960 were frequently painted with lead paint, which is found in household dust. Test your paint by removing a paint chip, and send it to be tested. If you have lead, ensure your is home dust-free to guard against lead poisoning. You can sand or remove wall and ceiling materials that are contaminated with lead by hiring an experienced contractor.

- Replacing blinds with washable drapes will give you a home that is more conducive to those with dust allergies.
- Many dry cleaning companies use a dry cleaning solvent called perchloroethylene, or "perc." This solvent is a probably carcinogen. The solution is to air out your dry cleaning or choose a company that does not use perchloroethylene.

- If you own pets, brush them outdoors as often as you can. It is also extremely beneficial to wash their bedding and vacuum your home frequently to control hair.

- Have your soil tested. Soil in urban districts can become polluted with lead from leaded gasoline emissions. If it is contaminated, have it replaced.

- Keep your basement dry and mould-free. Ensure that the gutters and downspouts are not blocked, and that they direct water away from the home.

- Use a vacuum equipped with a HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Air) to pick up minute particles that can irritate allergies and respiratory ailments. Opting for a non-bag vacuum is preferable as the dust that is picked up does not get jolted back into the house. However, if you do have a vacuum cleaner with filter bags, make sure you change them regularly to reduce the amount of particles thrust into the air. Lack of care and attention in this aspect can actually decrease your indoor air quality after vacuuming.

- Position carbon monoxide detectors at knee height to detect leaks from gas or oil furnaces, or poorly maintained appliances. Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause brain damage or death.

- Use dehumidifiers in summer to prevent mould and mildew growth.

- Formaldehyde is a carcinogen and can be found in many products, including the adhesives used in plywood manufacturing. Vinyl flooring and wall coverings can emit vinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride, which are also carcinogenic. Evade this by purchasing furniture made of low-emission or solid wood materials. Opt for natural materials, such as solid wood, bamboo or cork for flooring.

- In your workshop, be sure to wear a dust mask and use a dust collection system, including an ambient air filter. Some sawdust is carcinogenic and can exasperate respiratory conditions.

- If you have an unfinished, dirt-floor basement, to avert moisture from bleeding into the house, cover the soil with six-mil polyethylene.

- If you have a forced air system, consider installing a 0.3 micron or smaller air filter to prevent the circulation of dust and other particles throughout your home.

- Inspect your plumbing for lead pipes or soldering. If they contain lead, test your tap water for lead content. Depending on the seriousness of the problem, you may have to replace some of the plumbing.

- Avoid using air fresheners as much as you can. Some air fresheners contain pollutants such as formaldehyde. Use natural materials such as cedar balls.

- Mould frequently grows in high-humidity areas. Due to this, remove carpets from bathrooms and basements as they promote mould growth.

- Avoid using mothballs as they contain naphthalene, a harmful toxin that may cause cataracts and cancer. Instead, use a cedar chest and lavender paper.

- Common allergens are dust mites and their droppings. One way to inhibit them is to keep humidity below 45 per cent. Make sure you use pillowcases and mattress covers. Also, frequently wash bedding and pillows in hot water and dry on high heat. Try not to over-decorate your bed with throw pillows as they can promote dust mites.

- In order to decrease humidity, turn the bathroom fan on when you take a shower and keep it running for 10 to 15 minutes afterward.

- Cleaning products with harsh chemicals can aggravate asthma. Switching to mild cleaners can make a big difference. You can even make safe concoctions at home using baking soda, washing soda and white vinegar & lemon juice. If you are in a situation where you must use toxic products, be sure to ventilate the room well.

- In order to minimize germ transmission, fit a motion-sensor faucet in your bathroom. This also helps to save water.

- Clean or replace filters in air conditioners, humidifiers and furnaces regularly to prevent mould growth. This simple act helps the indoor air quality considerably. When filters collect dirt and grime, the quality of the indoor air deteriorates significantly. Consider buying a High Efficiency Particulate Filter (HEPA). Also, have your furnaces serviced regularly.

- Have your home inspected for radon periodically. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can bleed into your home from sediment, rock or water, and can cause lung cancer.

- When painting, choose a low-VOC or no-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paint. VOCs are potentially carcinogenic. Neurotoxic chemicals are also released by adhesives, paint thinners, nail polish and other materials.

- When changing a light bulb, take the expired compact fluorescent light bulbs to a recycling facility or drop-off. Do not put these in the trash as they contain small amounts of mercury. Consider buying high-efficiency LED bulbs.

- Get your chimneys inspected every fall and cleaned if necessary. If there is combustible debris and creosote build-up from wood-burning stove, fireplace pipes and chimneys, it needs to be cleaned up. Make sure to clean your chimney frequently to prevent soot and smoke particles from entering.

- Keep away from products that have antibacterial chemicals such as triclosan. These chemicals can create antibiotic-resistant bacteria and do not protect against viruses.

- Try not to burn incense and candles indoors as the by-products include carbon monoxide, VOCs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and soot. These can all irritate or cause respiratory problems.

- Clean your bathroom vents frequently to prevent mildew and dust build-up. An easy way to clean them is to soak a Q-Tip in rubbing alcohol and wipe away build-up on the vents while keeping the air flowing.

- An easy way to significantly improve your indoor air quality is to introduce some plants into your indoor environment. Plants are excellent at cleaning the air. Plants thrive on many of the chemicals on our home that decrease the indoor air quality and make us sick. They absorb the chemicals, making the air we breathe cleaner. For optimum results, place two to three plants in the room. According to Treehugger, the peace lily, bamboo palm, English ivy, mums, and gerbera daisies are the top plants for improving indoor air quality.

- Get into the habit of taking off your shoes before entering a living space. It keeps the house cleaner, and therefore keeps the air cleaner.

- Be sure to store toxic compounds outside. Some people get into the habit of storing these toxic compounds in their closets and various places within the house; things like cleaners, paints, pesticides and solvents. This is dangerous and hazardous to health. Store them in a designated area outside.

- If you have pets, make sure to vacuum regularly. Some cat litter can cause problems with the quality of the indoor air. Try moving the cat litter to a separate room with a cat door that you can close off to the rest of the house.

- If you use a wood stove to heat your home, burn only clean, dry wood.

- Do not store large amounts of wood in the house as drying green wood can breed mould spores.

These tips were all found at the following websites, please refer to the websites for further, more detailed information.

http://www.canadianliving.com/life/green_living/healthy_home_how_to_improve_indoor_air_quality.php

http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/08/10-ways-to-improve-indoor-air-quality/

http://www.york.ca/Publications/News/2008/January+17,+2008+Improving+indoor+air+quality+in+your+home.htm