5 Factors That Impact Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality
What comes to mind when you think of air pollution? For most of us, it’s a smog or haze that lingers in the air outside. However, what many people don’t know is that the air inside our homes, buildings and other places we visit is more polluted than outdoors.
The average person spends ninety percent of their time indoors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Therefore, the health risks associated with exposure to air pollution are greater indoors than outside.
Check out these five factors that are impacting your home’s indoor air quality.
- Pets. While our pets are a big part of the family, they can also be harmful to the air quality inside our homes. Many types of non-hypoallergenic pets shed excessive amounts of hair and skin cells. Also, pet hair and dander leave their mark all over your home including the upholstery, bedding, furniture and the air ducts Let’s not forget that they also have the tendency to roll around in contaminants. If you have allergies, then you may find that you’re experiencing symptoms more frequently than usual if you’re around pets.
- Poor Ventilation. Low air quality is often tied to poor ventilation. When there isn’t enough ventilation, your home doesn’t get as much fresh outdoor air as it should and indoor pollutants don’t get to circulate out. A whole house fan can add much-needed ventilation to your home.
- Dust. If you don’t dust regularly, not only does your home starts to look and feel neglected, it can do damage to the air quality. Dust is airborne particles that come from a variety of sources such as hair, clothing, dirt, pollen and dead skin cells. Accumulation of dust can trigger allergies and asthma health conditions. The best way to effectively minimize dust is to use a microfiber cloth which traps dust, while a dusting feather simply spreads much of the dust around.
- Moisture. Moisture can be detrimental to indoor air quality. Whether the culprit is a leaking pipe or an old air conditioner unit moisture provides the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew. Mold and mildew can aggravate allergies and asthma symptoms and it’ll also deteriorate the health of an otherwise healthy individual.
- Plants. While potted plants can be used to add style to a space they also have the ability to improve the air. Studies have shown that even the most basic houseplant, such as a spider plant or aloe vera plant, can help remove toxins like formaldehyde, benzene, carbon dioxide and other harmful toxins from the air.
If you interested in improving the ventilation in your home, give us a call at WholeHouseFan.com at 888-229-5757 to discuss your options and our solutions.