Make your indoor environment clean and healthy this winter season Most people do not realize that the indoor air quality can be worse in someone’s home than the outside are in a large metropolitan area. There several easy things you can do to ensure you and your family a clean and health indoor air environment.
This article will provide you with some helpful advice on increasing your indoor air quality. This advice can also help make your home more energy efficient and keep give your body less exposure to harmful bacteria and pollutants..
A clean furnace is very important. If your furnace is dirty and has not been serviced in some time, it is worth having an expert come and look at the unit. A properly maintained furnace will work more efficiently, increase the life of the furnace, and emit less carbon dioxide in to your home.
Other areas of your home that may be of concern is you stove top burners. If you have a gas stove top, and the flame is burning yellow, not blue, you most likely need your stove top serviced.
Another easy step to increase your indoor air quality is smoking. Tobacco smoke is filled with 100’s a carcinogens. The Attorney General has deemed second hand tobacco smoke to being potentially deadly and linked to many other undesired results. Smoke outside. Simple.
Have your air ducts checked and cleaned by a certified company. The EPA gives stamps of approvals for qualified air duct cleaning companies. If you have never had your air ducts cleaned it would be a big benefit to have a professional come take a look to see if a cleaning is required.
Change heater filters monthly. You’ll increase the life and efficiency of your heater and enjoy better air quality.
Plumbing problems like small leaks can lead to mold growth. Have your plumbing inspected and make sure all of your pipes and fittings are dry and leak free.
Use a dehumidifier in the basement. Also, clean and disinfect the basement floor drain regularly.
Open up your windows if the temperature rises to above freezing. It is good to air out some rooms once in a while, even in the middle of winter. Do it before you leave the house for the day. Then set you thermostat to hold at about 60. When you return set it to what ever temp you normally have it at during the colder months. 63 is pretty warm believe it or not.
Ventilate the attic and crawl spaces. You’ll help prevent moisture buildup and the chance for mold.
Don’t idle the car in the garage. A major carbon monoxide producer. Have your home tested by a heating/cooling specialist. Test for mold, carbon monoxide, radon, and anything unique to your region or neighborhood. It’s a small price to pay and you’ll breathe a lot easier.
Indoor Pollutant Primer Bacteria are microorganisms that thrive in wet areas of the home and are often food-borne. Effects range from sore throats to food poisoning. Biological contaminants are life-based contaminants including bacteria, mold, viruses, animal dander, house dust mites and pollen. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that reduces oxygen levels in your body. Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, weakness, confusion and sometimes death. Formaldehyde is a colorless, pungent-smelling chemical that can cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes and throat, and sometimes breathing difficulties. It’s common in pressed woods, and unvented gas stoves can produce it. Mold and mildew are fungi. They gradually destroy items they grow on and can cause allergic reactions, headaches, labored breathing, skin irritation and more. Nitrogen dioxide is a colorless, odorless gas that irritates eyes, nose and throat and can cause shortness of breath. Perchloroethylene is a drycleaning chemical that causes cancer in animals. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas in the ground. Radon can cause cancer, however it’s inexpensive to detect and there are effective, often inexpensive ways to rid homes of radon. The EPP recommends all homes be tested for radon. Having a clean indoor environment is important to you and your family’s health.
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