To get cleaner indoor air, maintain your appliances

A free smart-phone app from the American Lung Association, State of the Air, will assess the air quality outside your house (download it at the ALA website or in Android and Apple markets)—but how about the air inside?

Many Americans fail to maintain household appliances that affect indoor air quality, according to a recent survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. Almost 40 percent of Americans rarely or never clean their humidifier or kitchen range hood, for example, though they use it daily. One-fourth have never cleaned or replaced their furnace filter, which should be checked monthly and cleaned or replaced if it's dirty.

Ignoring maintenance schedules might not only make those devices less effective but can also harm your health. Neglecting a bathroom fan or dehumidifier can cause mold to form, for example; failing to clean a humidifier rigorously can result in growth of fungi and bacteria that cause lung inflammation; and allowing creosote to build up in a wood-burning stove or fireplace can lead to a fire.