Poor indoor air quality can cause sneezing, watery and itchy eyes, a dry mouth and/or throat, and coughing. Fatigue, poor concentration, and headaches are also signs of poor indoor air quality. All of these symptoms can become especially agitated if you already deal with seasonal allergies. However, it is not always the crisp outdoor air that requires you to carry around a tissue box.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), “the average person receives 72 percent of their chemical exposure at home, which means the very places most people consider safest paradoxically exposes them to the greatest amounts of potentially hazardous pollutants.”
Breathing clean air in your home is critical to your family’s health. It is important to organically keep your home’s indoor air pure to avoid unpleasant health consequences. What else does great air quality do for your home and family? Read on to discover a few ways to improve indoor air quality by Warner Service:
- It prevents airborne particulates, including particles emitted from furnishings, building materials, and other household products, from entering the air handler. This keeps the inside components cleaner, making the appliance more efficient and extending its operational lifespan. The longer the appliance functions properly, the less often you have to shell out for replacements.
- It traps allergens and pathogens like pollen, dust mite waste, mold and mildew spores, hair, pet dander, smoke, and more. This is helpful for making those in your home that have respiratory issues or allergies more comfortable year-round.
- It keeps money in your pocket. When the air filter is clean, airflow is seamless, which means the HVAC system will take a shorter amount of time and less energy to reach the temperature set on the thermostat. This lowers energy bills and decreases everyday wear and tear, decreasing the likelihood of repairs.
Here are a few of Warner Service’s tried-and-true tips to better your home’s indoor air quality naturally:
- Switch the air filter monthly.
- Quit smoking in the house to decrease chances of respiratory infections, asthma, and cancer, especially in children.
- Dehumidify the house by building your own dehumidifier using a trashcan, window screen, and rock salt.
- Avoid artificial whole-home air fresheners like Febreze and Lysol.
- Plant aloe Vera, English ivy, peace lilies, Chinese evergreen, and spider plants to give your home a toxin-free natural cleaning. However, do not overwater the houseplants to keep the humidity levels low.
- Stop using artificial fabric softeners and laundry detergents.
- Open a window during the warmer months to allow natural air to seep in for proper home ventilation.
- Throw out any moldy food in the refrigerator to reduce biological contaminants and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) floating in the air.
- Get your home tested for radon, a dangerous gas pollutant identified as the second leading cause of lung cancer.
- Properly seal your home by caulking any cracks in the bathroom or kitchen.
- Limit the use of combustion pollutants, like carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, found from burning materials or improperly vented fuel-burning appliances, such as space heaters, wood stoves, gas stoves, water heaters, dryers, and fireplaces.
- Purchase indoor air quality products that have been GREENGUARD Certified for low chemical emissions.
According to UL Environment, a business that helps manufacturers create interior products that have low chemical emissions to improve the quality of the air, people spend 90 percent of their time indoors, indoor air quality in a significant concern. To keep our air as breathable as possible, follow Warner Services tips, from cleaning out the fridge to quitting smoking inside.
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