There’s not a bad reason to want to improve the quality of your indoor air, whether it’s in your home or business. One easy, cheap, and environment-friendly way to better the quality of your indoor air is by purchasing a houseplant!

As stated, houseplants are inexpensive and easy to maintain, but they also have a very functional purpose. Certain houseplants remove a lot of various chemicals in the air including but not limited to: formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia, etc. These plants that take tiny amounts of water can make a huge difference in your air quality!

One unique thing about all of these plants, is that they all remove formaldehyde. Surprisingly, formaldehyde is an organic chemical that is extremely prevalent in our environment, including within our homes. There is a lot of possible sources of formaldehyde within our home or business’s air including: combustion devices (such as natural gas stoves, kerosene space heaters, or tobacco smoke); pressed wood products (such as particle board, decorative paneling, or plywood); and other household products (such as disinfectants, deodorants, shampoos, and cosmetics). With all of these as possibilities of bringing formaldehyde into our air, making sure to have things as simple as toxin-removing houseplants just makes sense!

Here is a list of 9 houseplants that can improve your indoor air quality and what chemicals they remove:

Garden Mum
Removes: Formaldehyde, Ammonia, Benzene, and Xylene

Spider Plants
Removes: Formaldehyde and Xylene

Dracaena
Removes: Formaldehyde, Benzene, Xylene, and Trichloroethylene

Ficus/Weeping Fig
Removes: Formaldehyde, Benzene, and Trichloroethylene

Peace Lily
Removes: Formaldehyde, Ammonia, Benzene, and Trichloroethylene

Boston Fern
Removes: Formaldehyde and Xylene

Snake Plant/Mother-In-Law’s Tongue
Removes: Formaldehyde, Benzene, Xylene, and Trichloroethylene

Bamboo Palm
Removes: Formaldehyde, Benzene, and Trichloroethylene

Aloe Vera
Removes: Formaldehyde and Benzene

Notice: Plants with are houseplants that are non-toxic to house pets. Therefore, be warned, all other plants on the list are toxic to pets. Keep these plants out of reach of pets or only buy houseplants safe for pets!

With all of this in mind, it’s important to note that even though these plants are great to have around, if you are concerned of formaldehyde or other toxins in your homes air or you think you may have IAP (Indoor Air Pollution)- [Find out the symptoms and how to tell if you have IAP by clicking here], then you should consider getting a whole-house air purifier to be certain that your home or business’s air is clean.

Buying houseplants is a quick and simple way to improve your indoor air quality! With this guide, it’s now easier than ever to locate houseplants that best fit your situation! Comment down below if you already own any of these plants or if you give them a try and let us know if they help!

It’s always so exciting buying a new home, but with that same excitement comes busy-ness, nervousness, and everything else that comes with purchasing a new home! Often we become so busy that we forget to check things within our new home that are too important to forget. With this guide, we’ll walk you through what you need to check to make sure that your new homes HVAC system is safe, clean, and fully functional.

It’s important to go through each area of your home (indoor, outdoor, and air ducts) and carefully review to make sure nothing is missed. Even things that seem small issues, like making sure your air ducts are clean, can end up becoming big problems if not taken care of. Poor indoor air quality can lead to indoor air pollution which causes coughing, sneezing, nose bleeds, myalgia, lung disease, and cancer. That’s why it’s important to check all areas carefully to ensure everything is running efficiently and safely.

Guide To Your New Homes HVAC System:

Outdoor Area:

1. First, make sure to locate your HVAC system, all of the places vents exit, and where your dryer vent exits. This way if any complications or emergencies happen, you’re able to quickly locate where to resolve the issue.
2. Double check that the outside end of the dryer vent is clean. If the end is blocked up by lint, then the dryer will have poor air flow and won’t run as efficiently. It’s also a safety hazard!
3. Make sure that the fan blades on your outside compressor are in good condition and can turn easily.
4. There should be no vines, shrubs, or any other plants within 2 feet of your HVAC unit.
5. Check that none of your outside units are tilting, but on an even, stable surface. It won’t run as efficiently if it’s tilting.

Indoor Area:

1. Be sure to check the thermostats in the home. Locate all of them, turn them on, and make sure they are functioning properly.
2. Locate the unit in your home and make sure it is clean and has no dirt or dust that could compromise function. Also make sure that there is no obvious damage or dents in the coils.
3. If your unit uses propane or natural gas, make sure to turn it on and smell for any gas leaks. Turn on the furnace and check the color of the flame. You’re looking for a blue flame- if it’s yellow or orange, then that means that there may be gas leaks or problems with the furnaces combustion.
4. Check to make sure there is no evidence of water damage or standing water in the condensate drain.
5. Locate all of the registers in your home, make sure they are all able to open and close fine, and clean them of any dust or debris.
6. Turn the unit on, and make sure there is a good airflow coming from all of the registers. If one isn’t working or has a low air flow, that could be a sign of duct issues.

Air Ducts:

1. Locate all of the exposed ductwork in the house so you have an idea of where your ductwork is.
2. Check all of the ductwork exits and make sure they are clean and clear of dust and debris. Consider also having your air ducts cleaned, that way you can be certain you and your family are breathing in clean air.
3. Double check all exposed air ducts for peeling tape and streaking on the ducts. This streaking could indicate air leaks or other damage.

If you make sure to go through this checklist when you purchase your new home, you can not only breathe easy, but safely. Small Solutions wants our clients to be educated about their system, so once you’ve checked over your HVAC system, consider scheduling regular maintenance with us so that we can continue to educate you on your system as well as help catch and resolve small issues before they become large problems. You can find more information about maintenance sign up here or consider calling us for more information.

Are you finding that after some time your dryer just isn’t drying your clothes as quickly as it once was? There are some simple solutions that you can do to not only help your dryer run more quickly and efficiently, but also more safely.

5 Simple Ways to Help Your Dryer Run More Efficiently:

1. If you can, dry lightweight garments first when doing back to back loads. Drying lightweight garments first causes the dryer to “preheat” before following with a heavier load of laundry. By “preheating” the dryer, it leaves residual heat in the dryer and helps to dry heavier loads faster.
2. This may sound obvious, but make sure to clean out your lint tray before each load. Cleaning the lint tray allows a better air flow, so the machine doesn’t have to work so hard to dry your clothes. This is also a safety precaution: not cleaning out your lint tray may result in a house fire.
3. Another solution that’s not only efficient but also energy-saving is to pre-dry your clothes on a clothesline outside or a drying rack inside. By first pre-drying your clothes and then running them through a quick dry cycle allows your clothes to be soft and fluffy without using so much energy.
4. A solution that’s also a safety precaution in addition to an efficiency tip is to have your dryer vent cleaned regularly. It’s best to have your dryer vent regularly cleaned out so that there’s an easy air flow, allowing it to run more efficiently, and it keep the pathway clear of lint that could potentially catch on fire. An easy way to manage this to contact us at Small Solutions LLC to schedule regular maintenance on your dryer vent.
5. Last but not least, make sure to “Goldilocks” your loads- don’t overload or underload, make them just right! When you underload your clothes you’re wasting heat and energy when it could be used to dry more clothes. When you overload your clothes, you’re not allowing enough space for air to reach all of the clothes and half of them will end up wet. Make sure to fill your dryer up all the way, but not too much, to allow your dryer to run efficiently.

If you keep up these 5 simple practices, then your dryer will not only run efficiently and potentially save energy, but it will also have a longer lifespan, need less maintenance, and be safer for your home!

Also, don’t forget, that to easily manage regular dryer vent cleanings, call Small Solutions LLC 24/7 Hotline and talk to a technician to schedule an appointment today! Keep your home safe and your dryer running efficiently!