Improve Air Quality around the House and Breathe Easy
Many of us know and are well aware of external environmental pollution that comes from smog and industrial emissions but we generally don’t think about the air quality that’s inside our homes as being something scary. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, however, indoor air quality is one of the top five environmental health concerns. The truth is that the air in your home can become just as polluted by dust, other particulates, radon, formaldehyde and volatile organic chemicals from fragrances and cleaning materials. All these substances can build up to a point where they become detrimental to your health which is why it’s important to take the necessary steps to improve air quality indoors.
Given that people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, it’s important to do what you can to reduce indoor air pollution and protect your kids and family. WebMD provides a comprehensive guide for New Jersey residents to improve indoor air quality around the home. With these simple steps, you can decrease health risks and protect your family so everyone can breathe easier.
Clean Your Home Regularly
Contents
If you don’t follow a regimen of cleaning your home regularly, harmful substances like dust, allergens and chemicals can accumulate quickly. Invest in a good quality vacuum cleaner with a decent filter to trap undesirable substances. Vacuum carpets, hardwood floors, furniture and anywhere else where dust may build up, and clean out the filter after each session.
Mop your floors to pick up dust and put out floor mats at every entrance to your home. Dirt on shoes can bring pollutants and chemicals from the outside that can stick to the floors inside.
Improve the Natural Ventilation in Your Residence
One of the simplest things you can do is open a window. Even if it’s chilly outside, you should open a window for even five minutes a day to significantly decrease the concentrations of indoor air pollutants in your home and create cross ventilation. People don’t realize the amount of harmful chemicals there are in many of the products we use around the house. A good draft of fresh air will help to expel odors and pollutants from the house.
However, depending on the season, opening your windows may be disadvantageous if you suffer from allergies or asthma. Typically, the best time for suffering individuals to open windows is at night, when the winds die down and the airborne allergens are likely to be lower. If you suffer, you should probably keep track of these allergens according to their respective seasons and use wisdom when opening your windows.
Use Air Purifiers around the Home
When it comes to indoor air quality (IAQ), there are several eco-friendly air purifiers on the market. They can be placed in different areas of the home to filter out toxins from the air. Or go the natural route and test out your green thumb. Plants are nature’s air purifiers! They not only add a visual appeal to your home, but also help purify by absorbing odors and chemicals in the air.
Maintain Your HVAC System Regularly
Your air conditioning system is a vital asset in helping to improve air quality. However, this equipment needs to be inspected and serviced on a regular basis to ensure that it is working at maximum efficiency.
Schedule an inspection and maintenance call with your trusted air conditioning company, Point Bay Fuel. Spring is the best time to do this, before the onset of those hot summer days to optimize the performance of your HVAC system so that you and your family can breathe easy. Call us today, (732) 349-5059.