Indoor air quality might not seem concerning, but poor air quality can lead to a whole bevy of health problems. Headache, fatigue, congestion, nausea, dizziness, coughing, and more can all be caused by poor indoor air quality. However! Being concerned is not the same as being afraid. You have the means to make sure your home’s air quality stays safe and clean. We’re here to show you how, with this breakdown of the most common indoor air contaminants and how to keep them from plaguing your home.
Other People
We’ll start with the problem that’s the most difficult to prevent: other people. The most common indoor home air contaminants are tobacco smoke, perfume, and body and animal odors. In other words, the kinds of stuff those meatbags we call “humans” produce with their “lives” or whatever.
Impurities like these may be common, but luckily, their solutions are too. To get rid of people-produced contaminants you can do a number of things. First, don’t let people smoke in or around your home. Second, clean your floors, linens, and surfaces regularly with nontoxic, non-aerosol, unscented cleaning products. This will help keep your home, and the air in it, as clean as possible. Also, wash your dog at least once a week! He won’t mind, we promise. If only humans could be so compliant!
Microbial contaminants
The grossest potential indoor home air contaminant is fungi, mold, and bacteria. These terrors love damp areas and standing water. Once they take hold, they can pose a particular danger to your home and the people living in it.
There are a lot of ways to avoid microbial contaminants, however. Take a few moments to wipe your shower down after you bathe and always turn on the fan when you use the bathroom. Avoid leaving standing water around your home. Even things as simple as random cups of water can promote mold growth. Follow simple steps like these, and you’ll go a long way toward avoiding bacteria build-up.
Dust mites
There are many ways to help prevent the collection of dust mites in your home. Like we mentioned already, keeping everything clean is going to be your first defense against any and all potential air contaminants. Regularly washing linens, utilizing a vacuum with a HEPA filter, and placing large floor mats at every outside door to catch dust and dirt will help.
Dust mites love warmer homes with indoor temperatures closer to 80 degrees fahrenheit and relative indoor humidity between 70 and 80%. Avoid giving them a comfortable environment by keeping your indoor home temperature no higher than 70 degrees fahrenheit. As a bonus, it’ll save you money on heating bills!
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
VOCs are a variety of chemicals that are widely used as ingredients in household products. like paints, varnishes, solvents, cleaning products, preservatives, and pesticides.
You don’t have to cut out VOCs entirely, but if you do use them, we recommend taking the proper safety precautions. Make sure to open windows or run air purifiers to increase ventilation when they’re in use, only use them when you have proper face and hand coverings, and make sure you never mix any of these products unless directed on the label and you should avoid any potential problems.
One great way to avoid any number of indoor air contaminants is by making sure you have the best possible home ventilation and ductwork installed. Contact Mike Diamond today if you have any questions about how to optimize your home’s air quality – we’d love to help.