Improve Indoor Air Quality With a 3-Pronged Approach

The air in the typical home is a major environmental hazard, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In addition to gaseous contaminants that result from cooking, chemical use and the off-gassing of building materials, your Highland Park home’s air contains a large number of particles like mold, pollen, bacteria and dust mites. This three-pronged approach will help you improve indoor air quality considerably in your home.

Source Control

Preventing pollutants from entering your home can have a major impact on indoor air quality.

• Reduce your use of household chemicals. Essential oils are excellent alternative cleaning agents, with antibacterial, antimicrobial and antifungal properties.
• Leave your shoes at the door. The soles of your shoes track in all kinds of gaseous and particulate pollutants.
• Schedule annual maintenance on your combustion appliances to ensure low emissions.
• Have your home checked for radon, which is a common gas that enters through the ground and causes lung cancer and other serious conditions.

Ventilation

Bringing fresh air into your home is essential to improve indoor air quality.

• Turn on your stove vent while you cook to help remove gaseous contaminants that result from cooking.
• Turn on your bathroom vent while you bathe or use personal care products to help send chemicals and particles outdoors and to prevent mold growth.
• Open your windows on nice days to help freshen the indoor air.
• If your home is newer or tightly sealed, consider installing a mechanical ventilating system, which can bring in fresh air without reducing the efficiency of the HVAC system.

Air Cleaners

Portable and whole-house air cleaners can improve indoor air quality by removing more particles and gaseous pollutants than an HVAC air filter alone can trap.

• UV lights installed in an HVAC system will kill biological contaminants like mold, bacteria and viruses.
• In-duct HEPA filters will trap the smaller particles that penetrate the air filter.
• Portable mechanical and electronic air cleaners will trap particles in high-traffic rooms.

For more expert advice about ways to improve indoor air quality, please feel free to contact us in the Highland Park area at Carefree Comfort, Inc. Heating & Air Conditioning.

Image Provided by Shutterstock.com