Indoor Air Quality Facts And Fixes For Your Home

We usually think of air pollution as something outside our home. But the truth is the air inside your house or office can also be polluted – in some cases much more polluted than outdoor air.

Important Facts About Indoor Air

Here are some interesting facts you probably didn’t know about your indoor air:

• You inhale about 15,000 quarts of it per day. You probably filter the water you drink at home, but you “drink” far more air than water in a day – about 15,000 quarts compared to two or three.
• Indoor air can be two to five times (or significantly more) polluted than outside air. Sources of indoor air pollution are all around you, including:
  • Combustion fumes from fuel burning appliances
  • Outgassing fumes from insulation, carpet, pressed wood, and other construction materials
  • Chemical cleaning products, personal care products, glues and pastes
  • Radon, pesticides, pollen, and other outdoor air pollutants
  • Pet dander, dust mites, mold, and viruses
• Polluted Indoor air can cause inconvenient – and sometimes dangerous – health issues. According to the American Lung Association, poor indoor air quality can cause or contribute to the development of asthma and other chronic respiratory problems, along with headaches, dry eyes, nasal congestion, nausea and fatigue. Air-borne toxic mold can also cause health problems, including brain damage.

6 Tips To Improve Your IAQ

Yes, indoor pollution is real, and it can create some serious complications in today’s increasingly airtight, efficiency-first homes.

The good news is that with some simple lifestyle changes and smarter buying choices, you can drastically improve indoor air quality in your home. Here’s are some of the changes you can make today.

1. Replace toxic or chemical-based cleaning products with natural, organic alternatives. Most stores carry at least a few “green” cleaning products – shop wisely. Or make your own – vinegar and baking soda are great natural cleaning agents that cut grease, clean drains, kill germs, and more.
2. Avoid fragrant aerosol spray cans and chemical air fresheners. Instead, use essential oils with a diffuser. Lavender, lemon grass, and other oils work great and don’t contain any air-polluting chemicals.
3. If you’re remodeling, choose low –VOC materials. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from paint can cause eye and respiratory tract irritation, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, and memory impairment. Most quality paint manufactures make a low-VOC version – ask for it.
4. Add greenery. Plants are natural air purifiers that suck toxic chemicals through their leaves. Plant roots and soil bacteria also remove trace levels of toxic vapors. They look great, too!
5. Have your HVAC system serviced regularly. Proper airflow is one of the keys to indoor air quality, and the best way to ensure you have it is to have your heating equipment professionally serviced every year.
6. Add Indoor Air Quality equipment. Indoor Air Quality equipment can have a big impact on whole house humidifier will keep air at healthy moisture levels to discourage mold and mildew growth. An ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light filter system will kill most airborne bacteria and virtually all airborne mold spores, while an ionic air purifier like our iWave-R will reduce allergens, smoke, volatile organic compounds, and static electricity.

Interested in finding out more about the iWave-R Ionic air filter, or any of our other Indoor Air Quality options for your home? Contact Rucci today to set up a free assessment!