Outside the air can be chock full of pollutants and other toxins that can affect our air. When we are inside, we assume that we are completely safe from pollutants, but the truth is, pollutants can find their way into our homes. Either we bring pollutants in through our clothes and shoes, or the pollutants are found right in our homes. Some of the most common pollutants that we can find in our homes are carbon monoxide, radon, nitrogen dioxide, secondhand smoke, mold, asbestos, and lead. The things can be found in home cleaners, paint, our stoves, and our fireplaces, which makes it feel like we are not safe from any kind of pollutant.
Indoor air quality at home is so important in order to have fresh, clean air, so knowing that our homes can be full of different pollutants and contaminants can be alarming. However, there are ways to purify your air and get better home air quality. Because of this a lot of people ask, “How do I purify the air in my home?” The answer is that there are several things you can do in order to improve your home air quality. In this blog post, we will go over what indoor air quality issues there are, what you can do, and how you can measure home air quality.
Home Air Quality and Health
There are so many home air quality issues that it can be a bit frightening. Some of these things include odors within the home, indoor ozone, imbalances in humidity, stale air, allergens, bacteria, mold, household cleaners, and germs. A lot of people who want to tackle their indoor air issues, always ask, “What are the 4 major indoor air pollutants?” and the answer is mold, tobacco smoke, household cleaners, and gases like carbon monoxide and radon. These can seriously affect the quality of air in our homes, but there are things we can do. So what can you do about bad air quality? Here is a list of some of the things we can do to improve home air quality.
- Clean Your House: Not only will your house be clean but you will rid your house of dust, pollen, pet dander, and dust mites that can cause allergies and other issues.
- Use a Doormat: By placing a doormat right when you walk in, you can reduce the number of pollutants, dirt, and allergen that enter your home.
- Get a Dehumidifier: There are a lot of things like mold and dust mites that love moisture. This is because they are able to grow and spread a lot easier. By investing in a dehumidifier, you can control the humidity in your home.
- No Smoking: If you smoke or someone in your home smokes, do not smoke inside of your home. You can take it a step further by changing your clothes when you come in as to prevent secondhand smoke.
- Use Natural Cleaning Products: Some of the biggest culprits of home air quality issues are cleaning. You can get your home to smell good as well as being clean by using products that are all natural or less toxic.
- Test for Gases: The most common gases found in your home are carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and radon. To make sure you don’t have these floating around in your home, call someone to test for gases.
- Exercise Indoors: Not only do we breathe in pollutants when we exercise outdoors, but we track those pollutants into our homes when we are done. To prevent this from happening, do your exercising indoors.
- Download Outdoor Pollution Apps: Knowing what the pollution is like outside can help you find ways to avoid bringing that extra pollution into your home.
How To Measure Home Air Quality
People who are wanting to make a conscious effort to reduce pollutants in their home usually want to know, “How do you test the air quality in your home?” There are a couple of ways in which you can easily test and watch out for pollutants in your home.
- Invest in an air quality test you can do yourself.
- Install carbon monoxide detectors.
- Always be aware of an increase in allergies.
- Watch out for symptoms of dizziness, nausea, and fatigue.
- Take note of construction going on in your area.
- See if there is any mold in your home.
- Do an at-home test for radon.
- Invest in an air purifier.
- Invest in air filter.
- Change your air filters every two to three months.
If you want to take it a step further and hire someone to test your home air quality, that is a great way to determine if you need systems to rid your air of pollutants, allergens, and more. But who tests home air quality? You can call someone who specifically does air tests by searching online or you can call an HVAC company. A lot of HVAC companies are able to test your air and determine what kind of system you need for your house. Just like you wouldn’t call an amateur to install a PVC pipe, you wouldn’t want to call someone who doesn’t have experience with testing home air quality. If you would like services for indoor air quality in Orange, CA, please call Elite HVAC at (714) 464-6622 for help!