Americans spend 90% of their time indoors. It’s no surprise that the people of today are called “The Indoor Generation.” With all the technological advancements, people now have the opportunity to do anything inside the comforts of their own home.
EPA states that the air indoors can be 2x or 5x more polluted than the air outdoors. This fact might be surprising to some as they believe that their home is a haven from the outside.
Contrary to popular belief, there are many dangers that people are unaware of when it comes to the activities they do at home.
This is where IoT can help you become a more informed and smarter consumer.
What is IoT?
In simpler terms, IoT enables devices to connect, exchange information, and turn it into actionable insights without human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.
It has four major components which are the sensors or devices, connectivity (cloud), data processing, and user interface. These four components are essential in creating a seamless interaction between smart devices.
For many consumer-related products, IFTTT or If This Then That makes the integration between devices easier and smoother.
It’s a free service that allows your devices to talk to each other and “play nice.” With IFTTT applets, you can choose how to automatically control certain activities inside your home to make it healthier.
Choosing a Smart Home Device
Before you can set-up IFTTT integrations, you need to have your smart home devices first. Choosing a smart home device largely depends on your lifestyle, health needs, and budget.
Here are some activities with a smart home device that can keep your home clean and toxin-free.
1. Give Commands to Alexa: According to voicebot.ai and voicify, a quarter of the American population already owns a smart speaker.
It’s not surprising as smart speakers serve as a hub for other devices inside your home. For example, you can give commands to Alexa to report your home’s indoor air quality so you can take action.
2. Keep Your Home Free From Dust with a Smart Vacuum: Dust inside our homes can be a source of allergens. It’s composed of pet dander, food particles, textile fibers, and dust mites.
Keeping your home free from dust with the help of a smart vacuum such as an iRobot reduces your chances to trigger asthma and other breathing problems.
3. Avoid Mold Growth with a Smart Dehumidifier: When there is too much moisture in your home, mold can be a problem. Exposure to mold can cause a lot of health problems such as throat irritation, nasal stuffiness, coughing, skin irritation, and even fatigue.
A smart home dehumidifier helps keep the humidity inside your home to below 50% – the most optimal condition for people and for your home.
4. Detect Water Leaks with a Smart Leak Detector: Fires can be a dangerous occurrence, but water leaks are more common according to a report by Consumer Affairs. Water leaks can damage your property by promoting mold growth inside your home.
Using a smart leak detector allows you to see water and moisture problems much faster. Aside from keeping your home free from mold, it also prevents financial strikes from water damages to your family.
5. Protect Your Home From Toxins with a Smart Air Quality Sensor: Many people are unaware that everyday household products can be a source of indoor air pollution. For example, aerosols can deteriorate the quality of your air at home.
Aerosols can produce Particulate Matters smaller than 2.5 microns – these are tiny pollution particles small enough to enter the bloodstream and cause lung problems.
Smart air quality sensors like uHoo help people become aware of the health repercussions of various household products.
Creating a Winning IoT Powered Home Through a Smart Hub
Building your dream smart home can be an overwhelming task. Each device comes with an app, and with more smart devices being added to your home, they can be quite complicated to control. So what’s the solution?
The answer is a smart home hub.
Think of it as a “universal remote controller” for smart home devices. Whether your IoT devices are controlled via WiFi, Zigbee, or Z-wave, your smart home hub can help you control them all.
You can use your smart home hub to connect two devices to keep your home healthy and clean. For example, you can connect your air sensor to your smart AC system.
Whenever the air sensor detects a low temperature, it will automatically tell your AC system to increase the temperature to the optimal level. Another example would be linking your air sensor to your smart vacuum so it will automatically turn on when dust levels are high.
There are many options for you to create a healthy home that you want. One that not only helps you protect your family from different health issues but also keep your home at its best.
It’s good to prioritize what you want first so you can take the necessary steps in transforming your home into an IoT hub.