It’s all too easy to believe that poor air quality only happens outdoors. We see images of factories spewing their toxins into the air, crowded highways loaded with exhaust fumes, and cities where the air quality is so low, people feel they need to wear masks. However, air pollution doesn’t only happen outside. The air quality inside your home or business is prone to it, as well. Stale air, cooking fumes, cleaning products, and mold can all negatively impact the air quality indoors. Here are some things you can do about it.
Test for Poisonous Gases
Before you do anything else, you should test the air in your home for poisonous gases such as radon and carbon monoxide. If the levels are too high, you should take the necessary measures to eliminate these gases from your air. Both can cause respiratory illnesses and even cancer. Even if levels are passable, you should definitely install both radon and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they stay that way! The detectors will alert you if the gasses reach unsafe levels.
Purify the Air
Did you know that the air you breathe while indoors could be filled with irritants such as dust, mold, and even pollen? These things can drastically lower air quality. Fortunately, there’s a fairly easy fix! By installing air purifiers indoors, these irritants will be removed, which will improve the air. If you’re an allergy sufferer, this is an especially good thing. There are several different types of air purifiers such as those with HEPA filters, electronic air cleaners, air sterilizers and ultraviolet-based units.
Control Indoor Humidity
Indoor humidity should be somewhere between forty and sixty per cent. If it’s any more or less than that, the air quality will suffer. Whether or not you will need to install a unit that will add or subtract humidity from the air will depend on where you live. Some climates require both types of units. For example, in some of the northern areas of the United States, the winters can be extremely dry but the summers can be excessively humid. If the environment is too dry, it causes discomfort such as dry skin and hair, static electricity, and dry nasal passages. If the air is too humid, it can cause an influx of mold growth. Constantly monitor the humidity in the air and then decide which type of unit you need to make things more comfortable.
Use Eco Friendly Cleaning Methods
Toxic cleaning products can harm the air, even if the room where they were used has been ventilated. The solution is to only use eco friendly cleaning options. There are two ways you can do this – by using eco friendly cleaning products and by using a vapor steam cleaner. In fact, the steam cleaner is the ideal choice because it eliminates the use of cleaning products altogether. Even nontoxic cleaning products still have fumes, even though they’re not as harmful as those emitted by the toxic cleaning products.
Most people spend the majority of their time indoors. Improving the indoor air at home or in your place of business helps increase your quality of life!
