Many homeowners wouldn’t think of letting their floors go uncleaned, but they don’t give a second thought to the air they’re breathing inside their homes. Usually, if they think about indoor air quality at all, it’s if they have allergies or some sort of respiratory illness where they have to be mindful of what they’re breathing. But in fact, they should be thinking about cleaning the air in their home as well.
So what about you? Read on to learn about all the things that can affect your indoor air quality (IAQ) and see if you don’t need to know a bit more about cleaning the air in your home.
Airborne Pollutants
So many things can affect the quality of the air in our homes. Here are just a few of them:
- Moisture (excessive humidity) from cooking, plumbing leaks, or failure of the HVAC system to properly lower humidity
- Pet dander
- Pollen
- Volatile organic compounds (from a variety of sources, including pressed-wood products; cleaning products; paint thinner; products with fragrances; combustion appliances)
- Tobacco smoke
- Dust mites and other decaying insect parts
- Dust
- Mold
The pollutants build up over time, particularly if the home is not properly ventilated, so that you can let in fresh air and let out stale air.
Fortunately, there are ways of cleaning the air:
- Prevent pollution at the source. For instance: Do not bring in products that have off-gas VOCs; cap chemicals and remove them from the house; don’t smoke; vacuum regularly with a HEPA filter; brush pets outdoors; air out, wash, and vacuum rugs and carpets.
- Fix plumbing leaks. Change the HVAC air filter regularly so the AC can remove humidity properly; install an exhaust vent to the outdoors over the oven.
- Use a quality pleated filter in the HVAC. Change it as recommended by the manufacturer.
- Acquire a portable air purifier. There are many types, so discuss them with your HVAC pro.
- Install a whole-home air purifier in your HVAC system, which will do a better job than a portable unit will of improving air quality.
Want to know more about cleaning the air? Contact Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing of Indianapolis.
