MILWAUKEE — With Americans spending more time at home in the past year, they’ve placed a greater focus on their homes’ health, safety, and comfort. A recent survey from YORK found more than one-quarter of homeowners plan to make safety improvements in their homes a top priority in 2021. Among these, 81% cited improving indoor air quality as primary focus.

In 2021, homeowners are recognizing the need for better air quality with nearly two in three (62%) believing that in-home air quality needs improvement, and four in five (81%) will make improving it a priority this year, especially those with children at home.

"Ensuring the health and safety of any indoor environment, especially at home, has been the cornerstone of Johnson Controls for 135 years,” said Tom Tasker, residential product manager, indoor air quality, Johnson Controls. "Nothing is more important than taking care of where you live, and it is our mission to protect the wellbeing of homeowners and their families by providing them with safe and clean air quality.”

In the survey, homeowners confessed they have held back from bettering the quality of air in their home in the past due to a number of reasons.

• Nearly three in four (73%) said they have faced at least one barrier to improving their home's air quality, such as a lack of resources and know-how.
• Thirty percent of those who struggled to take steps to improve air quality of their home said they weren't sure where to begin.
• Others said they were blind to the fact they could improve it (22%) or felt they didn't have the necessary tools or skills to make a difference (19%).
• Nine percent didn't know how to access their HVAC system.

Despite some barriers, the majority of homeowners have already taken steps to make the air in their home safer or plan to in the year ahead. This includes cleaning their kitchen ventilation systems above their cooking range, having their air ducts professionally cleaned, and replacing products entirely from air filters to entire HVAC systems. Others are seeking more natural solutions like purchasing more plants, placing air purifiers in rooms throughout the home, and cutting back on or eliminating the use of certain harsh chemicals in order to make the air in their home safer.

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