Winter can be a tough time when you want to air out your house. The better your home is sealed to keep drafts out, the more cooking odors and other pollutants (such as household cleaners, dust and humidity from showers and stoves) will gather and concentrate.
To keep your indoor air quality high even when you’re cooking all day, try implementing some of these tips:
- Close the doors to other rooms while you’re cooking. If your bedroom and bathroom doors are open, odors from the kitchen may waft in. While this may be pleasant while the food is cooking, after a day or so, the smell won’t be so pleasant.
- Clean while you cook. Wipe down spills, take out the trash as it gathers, wash dishes promptly and if you compost food scraps, make sure they’re kept in a covered container or taken outside immediately.
- If you have an in-sink disposal, clean it by chopping ice and lemons with it. Whether or not you have a disposal, finish up after a long day of cooking by flushing the sink with hot water and baking soda.
- Use the fan over your range to ventilate smoke, steam and other odors. A whole-house ventilation system can offer an even larger advantage, improving indoor air quality throughout your entire home – usually with less noise than a stovetop fan. It can also help with any lingering cooking odors that escape ventilation while you’re cooking.
- Finish up by simmering spices like cinnamon or clove, baking cookies, boiling citrus, or spritzing the air with citrus essential oils. This can help cut strong odors, such as garlic, and leave your home with a pleasant smell.
To learn more about combating lingering cooking odors and improving the indoor air quality of your Indianapolis home, visit Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing today!
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “alexwhite/Shutterstock”
