Indoor air quality is one of the most important aspects in our lives, yet it is often overlooked. Poor indoor air quality can have a significant impact on our health, leading to respiratory issues and other health problems such as headaches and fatigue.
In this article, we will explore the importance of healthy indoor air quality, and look at the benefits of having good air quality in your home and how it can make you and your family healthier.
The Importance of Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air due to poor ventilation or the presence of household chemicals, mold, dust mites, pollen particles, pet dander, radon gas and other pollutants.
These pollutants can trigger allergies or asthma attacks in people who are already sensitive to them. Long-term exposure to poor indoor air can lead to serious respiratory illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or even cancer.
It’s therefore important that you keep an eye on your home’s air quality so you don’t put yourself at risk for these conditions.
Common Causes of Poor Indoor Air Quality
Poor indoor air quality is usually caused by inadequate ventilation or too many pollutants inside the house. Some common pollutants include;
- Smoke from cooking stoves.
- Off-gassing from paint or furniture.
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from cleaning products.
- Toxins released by mold spores.
- Dust mites.
- Pet dander.
- Insecticides.
- Asbestos fibers.
- Bacteria.
- And viruses like SARS-CoV-2 which causes COVID-19 illness.
The best way to reduce these pollutants is by improving ventilation in your home: open windows when possible, use fans near source points like bathrooms and kitchens where moisture can cause mold growth.
You should also avoid using harsh chemical cleaners as they release VOCs into the environment. It’s also important that you clean regularly with a vacuum cleaner fitted with a HEPA filter which will help capture particles that are too small for ordinary filters.
Simple Ways to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality
There are several simple steps that you can take to improve your indoor air quality including
- ventilating rooms frequently (opening windows when weather permits)
- using a dehumidifier if necessary (too much humidity encourages mold growth)
- changing furnace filters regularly (this will help reduce dust particles)
- investing in an efficient HVAC system (and get 24 hour ac repair if something goes wrong with it)
- maintaining pets properly (bathe them regularly outside)
- Avoiding smoking indoors (smoke contains numerous toxic chemicals).
Additionally, adding plants throughout the house helps absorb some airborne toxins. If you want an extra layer of protection against harmful particles inside your home consider investing in an electronic purifier that captures particulate matter according to size.
Finally, getting regular maintenance for any appliances that burn fuel like gas stoves or furnaces ensures proper combustion which reduces carbon monoxide emissions.
How to Test Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality
Testing your home’s indoor air quality is relatively easy nowadays thanks to advanced technology. You may purchase a device called an “air monitor” which measures levels of various airborne substances like formaldehyde, carbon dioxide and ozone.
There are also sampling kits available online where professionals will come into your home and extract samples at different locations throughout the house so they can be analyzed in a lab.
Once you have gathered data about the kind of pollution present in the environment you’ll know whether any action needs to be taken – like cleaning carpets more often or purchasing a humidifier etc. – before taking further steps towards improving overall air quality.
If all else fails then contact a professional Emergency HVAC repairs technician if necessary – this could potentially save lives!
