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People tend to think that air pollution is something that only occurs outdoors, but the air quality in your home can also become polluted by a number of toxins, irritants, and allergens. In fact, the air inside of your home is oftentimes more toxic than the air outside. This is because there is limited airflow and once an allergen or irritant is introduced, it becomes more difficult to remove it.
The air in your home can become polluted by a number of unwanted substances including radon, formaldehyde, lead, and even dangerous chemicals from fragrances in household products. Some of these pollutants can even find their way into your home via new furniture, paint, or carpet cleaners.
In this unwanted mix of pollutants, you’ll also encounter major allergens like dust mites and mold. These can become increasingly worse if you have a pet, as they feed off of pet dander. Even if you don’t have pets in your home, you have traces of pet dander because pet owners carry the dander on their clothes and it becomes inescapable for everyone.
People, especially children and the elderly, run the risk of being especially sensitive to these indoor pollutants. If you’re someone who suffers from asthma, they’re even more damaging for you and your body. These pollutants can also cause health effects that may appear years after exposure and worsen with repeated exposure.
Indoor allergens, irritants, and pollutants have recently been recognized as more important because we spend more time indoors than we used to and research has helped to prove the long-term effects they cause. Because the modern home is airtight, especially in the winter months, these pollutants cannot escape the airspace.
To improve the air quality in your home and reduce unwanted allergens and pollutants, we recommend the following tips for you to try.
Many people associate cleanliness with those all too familiar scents of pine, lemon, or well-known cleaning scents. The problem with those pleasant scents is that they’re also toxic to us. These cleaners emit chemicals into the air when used and these chemicals have a hard time escaping our home, causing us to breathe them in constantly.
Most fragrances are derived from questionable topics like petroleum and generally have not been tested for the effects they may have on humans when they’re inhaled. Some of the fragrances that have been tested raise concerning results.
You can manage this problem by:
Despite the age of your home, you could have radon present. This gas is both colorless and odorless and puts you at significant risk for lung cancer if inhaled in large amounts over an extended period of time. Did you know that radon is the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer in the United States?
Radon is a radioactive gas that is given off during the natural decay process of uranium and is found in nearly all soils. It has the power to move up through the ground and into your home in even the smallest of openings. Homes that are at a higher risk for radon are those that may be drafty, airtight, and with or without a basement. Essentially, any type of home can contain radon.
This is why is imperative to test for radon and thankfully, the testing process is quite easy, inexpensive, and only takes a few minutes of your day. If you discover that your home has high traces of radon, give our skilled and experienced professionals a call today for affordable and fast help.
The most significant aspect that causes indoor air pollution is cigarette smoke. Cigarettes contain upwards of 4,000 different chemicals, many of which are proven to have major negative health effects. Secondhand smoke is also incredibly dangerous and increases the risk of developing health problems like respiratory infections, asthma, cancer, and even sudden infant death syndrome. For someone who smokes cigarettes, these chemicals can cause cancer, a variety of breathing issues, heart attacks, and stroke.
It’s in everyone’s best interest to quit the smoking habit but we realize that journey can be a timely one. In the meantime, it’s important to keep the smoke outdoors.
Humid environments are breeding grounds for a number of allergens including those pesky dust mites and mold. It’s important to keep the humidity levels in your home between 30% – 50% in order to keep these allergens at bay. If you have a difficult time managing the humidity, it may be best to invest in a dehumidifier.
Air conditioning systems can also help reduce the amount of pollen in your home and are great for allergy sufferers. Some other great ways to manage the humidity in your home are by emptying the drip pans of your window air conditioner units or dehumidifiers (if you have them), maintain plumbing to avoid leaks as these cause a spike in moisture, vent your clothes dryer to the outside, avoid overwatering your houseplants, and use an exhaust fan when cooking, running the dishwasher, or showering.
If you have pets you may be interested in reading our article with tips for HVAC Maintenance Tips for Pet Owners.
Keeping your floors clean means your eliminating allergens and pollutants that you track in from outside. Some great ways to do this are by vacuuming regularly, mopping regularly, and taking off your shoes before walking around your home.
Vacuuming does a great job of picking up the large pieces of debris but mopping will be able to pick up whatever is left behind from that. By taking preventative measures and avoiding wearing shoes indoors, you will be able to cut down on how frequently you have to clean your floors. Less mess equals less maintenance!
We hope that these tips can provide you with some assistance when it comes to improving the air quality in your home by eliminating allergens and pollutants. It’s important for your overall health to maintain high-quality airflow in your home and we know that these steps can help you achieve that.
If you have any further questions or need assistance with improving your air quality, give us a call today and our professional, experienced, and knowledgable team will assist you.
Air conditioning systems can also help reduce the amount of pollen in your home and are great for allergy sufferers. Some other great ways to manage the humidity in your home are by emptying the drip pans of your window air conditioner units or dehumidifiers (if you have them), maintain plumbing to avoid leaks as these cause a spike in moisture, vent your clothes dryer to the outside, avoid overwatering your houseplants, and use an exhaust fan when cooking, running the dishwasher, or showering.
