How clean is the air in your home in Central Houston?

Air pollution is everywhere and comes from motor vehicles, industrial plants, fires, and other factors that produce fumes and particles that can contaminate the air you breathe. If you think that staying inside can protect you, that’s not true! Did you know that, indoor air quality can often be two to five times worse than outdoor air, according the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)? Sometimes, indoor air contamination skyrockets to more than 100 times more than outdoor air quality! The EPA has now ranked indoor air pollution among today’s top five most significant risks to public health.

So, what makes indoor air quality so bad?

•    VOCs (Volatile organic compounds) from building materials and furnishings such as paints
•    Cleaning products and air freshener chemicals
•    Pet dander
•    Mildew or mold from Standing water or excess humidity
•    Combustible fumes from gas-burning appliances
•    Inefficient ventilation that can trap pollutants

Can poor indoor air quality affect your health?

Short-term health effects include:

•    Irritated eyes, nose and throat
•    Headache
•    Fatigue
•    Dizziness

Long-term Health effects include:

• Respiratory disease
• Heart disease
• Cancer

Can you improve indoor air quality?

Breathing is not an option and it’s an automatic response to living. It’s in your best interest to take steps to improve the air that enters your lungs.

Some of these suggestions can help improve your air quality in Central Houston:

• Increasing the overall ventilation: Open a window and allow fresh air to come into the home and/or running an exhaust fan, especially when cooking, cleaning or applying fresh coats of paint.

• Decrease the humidity level: Reduce excess moisture! Dust mites, mold, and mildew need plenty of moisture to thrive. Try keeping relative humidity lower than 50 % in your home by using a dehumidifier.

• Store VOCs under control by storing outside the homes direct living area: Reduce the VOCs  (Volatile Organic Compounds) in your air! Household products such as carpet, adhesives, composite wood products, paints, solvents, electronics, varnishes, upholstery and vinyl contain VOCs. VOCs are also released when cooking, smoking, storing chemicals, cleaning and using photocopiers. Ventilate any rooms that contain new furnishings and shop for low- or no-VOC paint.

• Clean without using harsh chemicals: Use milder cleaning methods to keep your homes air cleaner by dusting with a damp cloth, using a vacuum that has a HEPA filter, avoiding bleach, and buying nontoxic, unscented cleaning products.

• Address pet issues: Reduce pet dander by bathing and grooming your dog or cat regularly and limit areas they are allowed to roam.

• Change your furnace filters regularly: Use high quality air filters that are designed to capture airborne particles and remove them from the air you breathe. Change the filter bi-monthly or as recommended by the manufacturer.

• Keep smoke outside: Smoking outdoors only and not burning candles inside will greatly increase your homes indoor air quality. Furnace vents and chimney flues should be examined regularly to ensure safe, proper exhaust.

• Run an air cleaner: Invest in cleaner air by purchasing a portable air cleaner to reduce the amount of contaminants from your home’s air. You can also have your air ducts professionally cleaned to remove built-up contaminants in your ventilation system!

Is Having Clean Air Ducts important?

An effective way to improve indoor air quality is to have professional air duct cleaning done. Clean air ducts can contribute to better air quality by removing pollen, mold, bacteria, fungus, pet dander and dust mites that cling to the ductwork walls.

If there is a thick layer of contaminants lining the walls of your duct work, then you could certainly benefit from having the air ducts cleaned. Often, air duct cleaning is exactly what you need to get rid of mysterious respiratory problems that only occur at home or in the office.

To learn more about having your air ducts cleaned to breathe cleaner air, please contact Restoration 1 Central Houston.