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Having clean air in your home can bring a higher quality of life and less chance of having to deal with a respiratory illness. But some homeowners are unknowingly making their air quality worse.

“We spend nearly 90% of our time indoors, and indoor air can actually be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air,” says Dr. John McKeon, CEO of Allergy Standards Limited. “So making a conscious effort to reduce indoor air pollutants, especially for those with asthma and allergies, is important.”

Word to the wise: Just opening all the windows is not enough to ensure the air quality in your home is adequate. There’s more you can do.

Avoid the following mistakes that most people make when it comes to tending to their home’s air quality.

1. Changing air filters only once a year

Dirty filters restrict airflow and make your HVAC system work extra hard. That, in turn, can reduce its efficiency. According to the Department of Energy, having a properly maintained filter can save between 5% and 15% of your HVAC energy costs.

“Not changing your air filters at adequate intervals will reduce the quality of your home’s indoor air, because the air filter can become clogged with dust, pollen, and other particles,” says McKeon.

Whether you have a furnace, air conditioner, or air purifier, change or clean the filter regularly.

Check your owner’s manual for specific recommendations, but experts say to change your air filters every three months. Change it monthly if you have pets or suffer from severe allergies.

“Remember, regularly cleaning and changing your filter will ensure the best filtration, increase the life of your machine, and give you peace of mind that you’re breathing easier,” says Lee.

2. Not testing the indoor air quality

“Air quality is often overlooked because it’s largely an invisible problem,” says Darcy Lee, senior product manager of indoor air quality at Trane Residential. “Most dust particles are smaller than the diameter of human hair, but those can be some of the most harmful.”

To make sure those particles won’t disrupt your health, regularly test your home’s indoor air quality. You can use an indoor air quality monitoring device to monitor all of the key air quality parameters, including temperature, humidity, CO2, fine particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds.

Lee says the Awair Element (getawair.com) is a good air quality monitoring device that can be integrated with smart home apps that control HVAC systems.

3. Ignoring—or not knowing about—air leaks

Sometimes air leaks can contribute to poor indoor air quality.

“By ignoring or not checking for air leaks, homeowners run the risk of having bad indoor air quality. Leaks in your windows or doors may let outdoor pollens, allergens, and irritants inside your home,” says Lee.

To determine if you have an air leak, inspect your windows, exterior doors, baseboards, and electrical outlets. You might see gaps that need caulking. If you want to take it a step further, do a DIY air leak check:

Turn off your gas-burning furnace and/or water heater Shut all windows, doors, and fireplace flues Turn on your clothes dryer, bathroom fans, and other exhaust fans that blow air outside. Light a candle or incense stick and slowly move it around the edges of where you suspect leaks are occurring. If the smoke moves or blows, you likely have a leak.

You can also hire an HVAC specialist to scan your house for air leaks.

4. Not controlling the humidity

“Maintain a humidity level in your home between 35% and 60% to mitigate indoor air quality problems,” says Lee. “Mold, dust mites, and other air pollutants tend to thrive outside of that range, and our body’s natural immune systems can be compromised when the air gets too dry.”

Monitor humidity levels through a reliable HVAC thermostat. If you need to make the home more or less humid, purchase a home dehumidifier or humidifier.

For drier climates or during dry seasons, Lee recommends adding humidity through a whole-home evaporative or steam humidifier that ties into the HVAC ductwork system and can add the right amount of moisture to provide ideal humidity levels in the home.

5. Not prioritizing products that are certified as asthma- and allergy-friendly

Allergy and asthma control begins at home. But everyone should be aware that there’s no regulation on products that claim to be “hypoallergenic,” so shop carefully.

Look for products that are certified asthma- and allergy-friendly. For example, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and Allergy Standards Limited collaborated to create the asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program to test and promote products that improve the air quality and health of homes.

Certified products include air cleaners, air filters, bedding, cleaning products, flooring, paints, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and more.

“It is important to distinguish between empty marketing claims and characteristics of a product that have been backed up by independent testing,” says McKeon.

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