You and your family deserve to have a healthy home, but your home’s low air quality could be making you sick. Whether already feeling ill or simply concerned that your home’s air isn’t as clean as it could be, you can check where you stand and take steps to make indoor air quality better. There’s no downside to cleaner, fresher air in your home.
Get an Indoor Air Quality Monitor
An indoor air quality monitor is an electronic device that shows you the level of indoor pollutants. You can find them for less than a hundred dollars, though there are also more expensive models. Mid-range models work better than cheaper ones and can check for chemicals, particulate matter, humidity, and other issues. Some also track carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. You can also purchase a separate carbon monoxide detector and radon detector. While home mold test kits are available, most experts say they don’t work very well.
Clean Your HVAC System
The easiest first step for improving indoor air quality is cleaning your heating and air conditioning system.
You may be able to change the system’s filters and wipe down vents yourself, but air duct cleaning by a professional AC repair company can get rid of dust, mold and other contaminants that you can’t reach yourself. An AC repair company may be able to find and fix holes in vents that decrease the system’s performance too.
While you’re thinking about filters and vents, check the kitchen vent hood, clothes dryer, and vacuum cleaner as well.
Remember to Clean Carpets
Because of gravity, the dust and dirt you don’t clean away eventually settles into your carpet. Vacuuming gets up some of this mess, but more remains that must be cleaned away with a carpet cleaning machine. The only way to be certain that carpeting isn’t contributing to poor indoor air quality is to replace it with hard surface flooring, which is easier to clean. Keep in mind that replacing old carpet with any new material could result in off-gassing of chemicals that harm air quality.
Control Humidity
Moisture breeds mildew, mold, and fungus that can cause allergic reactions, respiratory issues and other health concerns. When higher temperatures warm the moisture in your home, air quality in your home can get particularly bad. Dehumidifiers can help reduce moisture and so can fixing plumbing leaks and using vent fans when showering or cooking. Low humidity is good for your home’s air quality and can help you feel more comfortable too.
Many homes suffer from low air quality, and you can find out how much of a problem your home has and fix most indoor air quality concerns. When the air inside your house is clean, fresh, and as free of contaminants as possible, you and your family can feel good about staying home.