Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality
Going outside for a breath of fresh air or opening the window to air out a room may be the best thing for people to do. When one stops to consider that despite modern day pollution in major cities outdoor air is still usually cleaner and healthier than the air inside a home.
Homeowners would be surprised to find out how polluted the air in their homes really is. Most homes contain pet dander, pollutants carried in on shoes and clothes, chemicals found in household cleaners and laundry detergents, radon, dust mites, mold and more.
There are some things homeowners can do to eliminate pollution in the air in their homes. These include: vacuuming, mopping, putting floor mats at every door, keeping a healthy level of humidity, making the home a non-smoking zone and checking for radon, avoiding cleaners and air fresheners.
It may sound simple, but vacuuming can pull the dander, mold and dust out of the rugs. A homeowner may think that pet dander is not a problem for him since he doesn’t have pets, but pet owners carry it on their clothes and it sheds off all day long wherever they go. Pet dander is so common there is hardly any indoor space that is free of it. Dust and mold affect every home.
Mopping the floors will help a homeowner get rid of the same things and will also help eliminate the pollutants carried in on the shoes of people coming in from outside. It also captures the dust that vacuuming leaves behind. When a homeowner mops he should use plain water. Household cleaners can leave chemicals behind.
To help keep pollutants like pesticides and other chemicals found on the ground out, a homeowner should put mats at every door. He should make sure everyone wipes their feet before entering the house.
Dust mites and mold love humidity. To help control them, a homeowner should keep the humidity in his home at around 30% to 50%. He can get a dehumidifier to help control the humidity. He can also do several things which are:
*Crack the window in the bathroom
*Don’t overwater indoor plants
*Vent the dryer
*Use an exhaust fan when cooking
*Crack a window when running the dishwasher
*Fix leaky plumbing
*Empty drip pans for the air conditioner or dehumidifier
Another way for homeowners to improve indoor air quality is to make his home a non-smoking zone. Cigarettes contain 4,000 chemicals. These chemicals can cause many illnesses including asthma, ear and respiratory infections, cancer sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), breathing problems, heart attacks and stroke. Eliminating smoke from a home makes it safer for everyone.
A homeowner should not forget to check for radon. Radon gas is colorless and odorless. It is a major cause of lung cancer. It is radioactive. It forms from the decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. It moves up through the ground and gets into homes through cracks in the foundation. Any type of home whether it is airtight, drafty, with or without a basement can have a radon problem.
It has been found that granite countertops may release radon. Experts agree that granite countertops emit radon, but they are not sure if it does so at levels that are harmful.
A homeowner should have his home tested it for radon and get a detector.
Finally, a homeowner can do a great deal to improve indoor air quality by not using commercial cleaners and detergents and air fresheners. These products contain dozens of chemicals that can be harmful. They do not need to be on the label. Only the word fragrance needs to be listed. Most fragrances are made from petroleum products and haven’t been tested on humans to see if they have any adverse effects when inhaled.
Many people don’t realize just how harmful the air indoors really is. A home can be so polluted that homeowners and their families can actually run the risk of getting sick if something isn’t done. Any homeowner should make sure to keep up with the following: vacuuming, mopping, putting floor mats at every door, keeping a healthy level of humidity, making the home a non-smoking zone and checking for radon, avoiding cleaners and air fresheners.
Homeowners would be surprised to find out how polluted the air in their homes really is. Most homes contain pet dander, pollutants carried in on shoes and clothes, chemicals found in household cleaners and laundry detergents, radon, dust mites, mold and more.
There are some things homeowners can do to eliminate pollution in the air in their homes. These include: vacuuming, mopping, putting floor mats at every door, keeping a healthy level of humidity, making the home a non-smoking zone and checking for radon, avoiding cleaners and air fresheners.
It may sound simple, but vacuuming can pull the dander, mold and dust out of the rugs. A homeowner may think that pet dander is not a problem for him since he doesn’t have pets, but pet owners carry it on their clothes and it sheds off all day long wherever they go. Pet dander is so common there is hardly any indoor space that is free of it. Dust and mold affect every home.
Mopping the floors will help a homeowner get rid of the same things and will also help eliminate the pollutants carried in on the shoes of people coming in from outside. It also captures the dust that vacuuming leaves behind. When a homeowner mops he should use plain water. Household cleaners can leave chemicals behind.
To help keep pollutants like pesticides and other chemicals found on the ground out, a homeowner should put mats at every door. He should make sure everyone wipes their feet before entering the house.
Dust mites and mold love humidity. To help control them, a homeowner should keep the humidity in his home at around 30% to 50%. He can get a dehumidifier to help control the humidity. He can also do several things which are:
*Crack the window in the bathroom
*Don’t overwater indoor plants
*Vent the dryer
*Use an exhaust fan when cooking
*Crack a window when running the dishwasher
*Fix leaky plumbing
*Empty drip pans for the air conditioner or dehumidifier
Another way for homeowners to improve indoor air quality is to make his home a non-smoking zone. Cigarettes contain 4,000 chemicals. These chemicals can cause many illnesses including asthma, ear and respiratory infections, cancer sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), breathing problems, heart attacks and stroke. Eliminating smoke from a home makes it safer for everyone.
A homeowner should not forget to check for radon. Radon gas is colorless and odorless. It is a major cause of lung cancer. It is radioactive. It forms from the decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. It moves up through the ground and gets into homes through cracks in the foundation. Any type of home whether it is airtight, drafty, with or without a basement can have a radon problem.
It has been found that granite countertops may release radon. Experts agree that granite countertops emit radon, but they are not sure if it does so at levels that are harmful.
A homeowner should have his home tested it for radon and get a detector.
Finally, a homeowner can do a great deal to improve indoor air quality by not using commercial cleaners and detergents and air fresheners. These products contain dozens of chemicals that can be harmful. They do not need to be on the label. Only the word fragrance needs to be listed. Most fragrances are made from petroleum products and haven’t been tested on humans to see if they have any adverse effects when inhaled.
Many people don’t realize just how harmful the air indoors really is. A home can be so polluted that homeowners and their families can actually run the risk of getting sick if something isn’t done. Any homeowner should make sure to keep up with the following: vacuuming, mopping, putting floor mats at every door, keeping a healthy level of humidity, making the home a non-smoking zone and checking for radon, avoiding cleaners and air fresheners.