In this new age of working from home, it feels luxurious to stay inside all day and revel in the glorious temperature-controlled environment. After all, the air inside is better to breathe than the air outside, right? Not necessarily, as it turns out.
In the US, we spend roughly 90% of our time inside, where there’s actually a variety of pollutants that can be found in the air—two to fives times more than in the air outside, as a matter of fact. Common pollutants can include radon; allergens; particulate matter from things like dust, candles, fireplaces, and cigarettes; and volatile organic compounds from chemicals found in paint, upholstery, carpeting, and cleaning products.
With enough time and exposure to these toxins, we humans can experience symptoms like headaches, sinus or throat inflammation, coughing, and skin irritation to more extreme respiratory diseases, such as asthma, emphysema, and even cancer—yikes. So it’s more important than we might think to keep the air we breathe inside clean and safe. Not sure where to start? We’ve got a few “Dos” and “Don’ts” to help you keep your air fresh all year round.
Indoor Air Quality Dos
Check Your Home for Dangerous Pollutants
A really important way to make sure the air inside your home is safe is to check for anything in your home that may contain or emit poisonous pollutants like asbestos or excess carbon monoxide. For asbestos, common culprits include old insulation or ceiling/floor tiles, while gas-burning stoves and boilers that are incorrectly set up can put off too much carbon monoxide. If you think your home might have any pollutants like these, hire a professional to check, handle, and remove any hazardous materials. Then, make sure you have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors set up throughout your home—they will (not subtly) let you know if you have too much of either harmful pollutant in your air.
Improve Ventilation
To quote everyone’s parents on a nice summer day, getting some fresh air really is one of the best things to do. If possible, open your windows or doors for a few minutes a day (yes, even in the winter!). The cleaner air from outside will help dilute any pollutants inside. Of course, keep an eye on the weather reports before opening your windows—if the air quality outside is less than ideal, go ahead and keep them closed for the day.
You can also use bathroom and kitchen fans to help remove contaminants in the air, especially when you’re doing something inside that may create more pollutants, like cooking, painting, or cleaning. Depending on the type of activity, consider doing it outside instead.
Check & Change Your HVAC Filters
After getting some fresh air into your home, make sure that your HVAC system is keeping your air clean by regularly checking and replacing its filter. This filter traps dust, pollen, pet dander, mold, material particles, and more, keeping them all out of the air that gets circulated throughout your home. Check out our tips on picking out the right filter for your air conditioner—or better yet, just call our team to find out what filter is right for your whole HVAC system.
Invest in an Air Cleaner or Purifier
In addition to making sure you’re using the right filters for your HVAC system, you can also get a portable air cleaner or purifier to help boost the indoor air quality of a single room or area in your home. Most of these devices are equipped with HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters and do a great job of capturing particulate matter and other pollutants in the air. Some air cleaners or purifiers also come with an additional charcoal filter, which helps neutralize odors and airborne chemicals.
Clean Your Home
We’re going to sound like a parent again, but regularly cleaning your home can actually do wonders for your indoor air quality. Dust is a mix of particles like dead skin cells, dust mites, bacteria, hair, clothing, soil, pollen, and plastic, so doing a thorough dusting and vacuuming of your home on the reg can get those particles and other harmful allergens out of your air.
Keep Humidity & Mold In Check
The ideal humidity in your home is somewhere between 30–50%. If the humidity creeps above that, it can lead to mold growth. Though you won’t turn into a zombie if you inhale mold spores, like in “The Last of Us,” it can irritate your skin, eyes, nose, and throat. Fortunately, inexpensive humidity and temperature monitors can help you stay on top of the humidity before it becomes a problem. Fixing any leaks around your home can also help prevent mold from setting in.
Indoor Air Quality Don’ts
Burn Things Inside Your Home
Smoke from any source—cigarette, vape, cannabis, candle, or fireplace—contains particulates and chemicals that can be dangerous if inhaled. So, in general, just try to avoid lighting anything on fire in your home. In addition, never use your gas stove or oven to heat your home, since this can produce higher amounts of carbon monoxide, benzene, and other poisonous gases and can also increase the risk of starting a fire (and like we said, we don’t want fires inside).
Use Harsh or Scented Cleaning Products
There’s always that one mess that’s so disgusting you want to hit it with every cleaning product you own. However, harsh cleaning products can actually add chemicals and volatile organic compounds into the air. To clean surfaces in your home, use soap and water and use baking soda to remove lingering odors. Be sure not to mix bleach with ammonia or other cleaners, either, since this can create a dangerous mix of gases. Also, try to avoid using heavily scented products like air fresheners and sprays (apologies to all our lavender and citrus scent fans out there), since these can also add chemicals into the air.
When In Doubt, Call Appel Heating and Air Conditioning
With all of this, however, the most important tip that we can give is that there’s no better substitute than chatting with an expert when it comes to questions about your indoor air quality. As a family-owned business since 1948, we know a thing or two about how to keep your home’s air clean and safe through your HVAC system, so reach out to our team today!