Reasons to Improve Indoor Air Quality
Many people spend most of their time indoors and don’t give much thought to air quality. However, while there is pollution outside, the air is often more polluted indoors. The air inside our home contains contaminants like dust, mold, pollen, and pet dander. Poor air quality can cause asthma-like symptoms and make recovering from a simple cold more difficult. Here are a few easy ways to improve indoor air quality.
1. Clean Your Home to Improve Indoor Air Quality
Deep clean your home on a regular basis. Vacuum thoroughly using a machine with a HEPA filter. Clean the furniture, especially your couch and rugs. Dust and pet dander collect on both and disperse into the air when you sit down or walk. Launder throw blankets, pillow covers, and curtains regularly.
2. Test for Mold
Your indoor air quality will be affected by mold in the bathroom, kitchen, basement, or other areas of the home. Mold releases spores into the air that impact your family’s health. If you find mold growth, the first step is to find the source of moisture. Next, remove the mold using an appropriate cleaner or hire a professional if it’s widespread.
Once the mold is gone, take steps to keep it from returning. Increase the ventilation in the area by installing ceiling fans or keep windows and doors open to allow for better airflow. Finally, check the humidity in your home. If it is higher than 50%, use a dehumidifier in areas of the home that are prone to mold.
3. Improve Indoor Air Quality with an Air Purifier
An air purifier with a HEPA filter will trap dust and other particles, removing them from the air. Choose an air purifier based on the square footage of the room where it will be used. It’s helpful to have a larger machine in common living areas and smaller models in each bedroom. If you have the budget, a whole-house air purifier is a smart investment.
4. Ventilation
Ventilation is important to indoor air quality. The easiest way to encourage airflow is to open the windows occasionally and let in some fresh air. Also, installing ventilation fans in bathrooms and running the stove fan when cooking will help remove contaminants. Ventilation helps circulate moisture and odors out more quickly.
5. Replace or Clean HVAC Filters
An important step towards improving indoor air quality is regularly changing or cleaning the filters in your heating and air conditioning system. Old filters will recirculate dirty air into every room of your house. Change them out according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Coastline Home Inspection offers home inspections in the Hampton Roads area. Contact us to schedule an appointment.
