The Best Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality

The air quality in your home significantly affects your daily life. Long-term exposure to indoor air pollutants, such as formaldehyde and mold, can lead to persistent allergic or asthmatic reactions, as well as respiratory and cardiovascular problems.

You can take steps to enhance the indoor air quality (IAQ) in your Decatur home. With a little proactive effort, you can greatly reduce the risk of negative health effects and increase the overall comfort of your living space.

What Are the Causes of Poor Indoor Air Quality?

Indoor air pollution results from manufactured and naturally occurring compounds. The most common causes of indoor air pollution are:

• Natural air pollutants including pollen, pet dander, dust, mold, mildew, and radon. Radon is a natural gas emitted from the soil that sometimes seeps into homes through cracks. It is estimated to cause an estimated21,000 lung cancer deaths in the US annually.
• Airborne chemical pollutants like formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen dioxide. These chemicals are often emitted from furniture, paint, cleaning chemicals, or combustion (gas-powered appliances, fireplaces, and more).

These compounds are very common, and at low levels, they are less likely to hurt your health. However, when concentrations of these particles increase, they pose significant risks to human health.

Common Symptoms of Bad Indoor Air Quality

Health experts warn against the short and long-term effects of poor indoor air quality. The most common signs of poor IAQ include:

• Respiratory issues, including runny nose, sinus congestion, cough, difficulty breathing, and sneezing.
• Eye, nose, and throat irritation, including watery or dry eyes
• Difficulty concentrating
• Nausea
• Irritability
• Nosebleeds

In most cases, these symptoms will resolve after leaving home. But daily, long-term exposure may exacerbate symptoms so that they rarely completely dissipate.

Three Effective Ways to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality on a Budget

Improving indoor air quality is relatively simple; it requires a little time every week to stay ahead of issues. By focusing on and mitigating the causes of indoor air pollution, homeowners can breathe better in no time at all!

To reduce indoor air pollutants and improve indoor air quality:

1. Maintain Healthy Humidity Levels

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends maintaining indoor humidity levelsbetween 30% and 50% year-round. Optimal humidity levels will prevent mold and mildew growth, keep dust mite populations in check, and keep you more comfortable inside your home.

2. Use Your HVAC System

Nothing supports healthy indoor air quality like a well-maintained HVAC system. Your heating or cooling system helps to promote airflow, maintain humidity, and remove airborne particulates through filtration.

Ensure your HVAC system is up to the task by replacing your air filter every 1-3 months (households with pets or members with underlying health conditions may benefit from more frequent filter replacement), and have your system inspected annually.

3. Address the Root Causes

Regular dusting, vacuuming, and cleaning will keep indoor dust and allergens like tree pollen low. If you have allergies, you may need to dust and sweep daily when pollen levels are high. Consider keeping your windows shut during allergy season, especially in the afternoon when pollen levels peak.

Also, don’t allow smoking in your home, and use your kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans to remove smoke and keep humidity levels in check.

Read more: Smart Home Technology: A Guide

Can Indoor Plants Improve Air Quality?

Yes and no. Viral blog posts and news articles previously claimed that certain houseplants can improve indoor air quality—to a point. More recent studies have found that while plants can remove VOCs from the air, it would take an incredible number of plants to have a measurable impact in real-world conditions. A meta-analysis of these studies found it would take roughly 1,000 plants per square meter of floor space to clean indoor air – that’s approximately680 plants in a 1,500-square-foot home.

Indoor Air Quality in the Tennessee Valley

We’re committed to offering Decatur residents professional, affordable indoor air quality services. Our technicians have the experience and resources to make cost-effective IAQ upgrades to help you and your family breathe easier.

Call 256-474-7550 orcontact us online to schedule HVAC, electrical, or plumbing services in Decatur, Athens, and the surrounding areas.