Homeowners Guide to Indoor Air Quality Solutions
Homeowners in Mount Pleasant, TX, will find it’s well worth the trouble to maintain the air quality in their home. The good news is keeping the air in your home fresh and safe to breathe isn’t a difficult goal to accomplish. You can take a proactive approach to maintain your indoor air quality by adhering to the six steps below.
Crack the Windows
Some homes don’t breathe well. If this is true for your home, the pollutants that become part of your environment can quickly add up. Pollutants like pet dander and carpet dust can cause problems with the air quality inside your home if allowed to accumulate over time.
Cracking the windows a couple of inches can freshen things up by allowing these pollutants to exit your home and providing an entry point for the fresh air outside. You can increase air circulation even more with the cross draft you can create by opening windows on both sides of your home. But only do this if the temperatures aren’t too hot.
Use Plants
Houseplants can become an invaluable resource for improving the air quality inside your home. Plants inhale carbon monoxide that can be dangerous for humans to breathe. Your plants will then add oxygen to the rooms in your home when they exhale. You can use this symbiotic relationship between animal and plant life to improve your indoor air quality while adding beauty to your home.
There are no limits to the choices you have regarding the plants you can bring into your home. Some of the most popular selections include Aloe Vera and English Ivy.
Change Air Filters
The entirety of the air present in your home will pass through your heating and cooling systems multiple times daily. This fact makes your system’s filters the first lines of defense against the dust and debris that will cause the air quality to deteriorate inside your home if left unchecked. High-quality filter replacements each month should be enough to ensure your filters remove airborne particles from the air you breathe.
Control Humidity
The humidity levels inside your home can increase through normal activities like bathing and cooking. Once the humidity level inside your home reaches a certain point, it becomes more difficult for your HVAC system to maintain indoor air quality. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that humidity levels remain between 30% and 60%. Your personal preferences will help you decide on a more specific humidity level for your home. But fans and dehumidifiers are great tools if you need to decrease humidity.
Vacuum Regularly
This tip may sound a bit too simple to have real benefit. But vacuuming the carpet in your home will eliminate dust and allergens before they have a chance to become part of the air you breathe.
Some vacuums use HEPA filters. These filters can become especially valuable if you or a family member suffers from allergies or other breathing problems. You can also use your vacuum cleaner to remove dust mites from your sheets and pillowcases for an extra level of protection.
Carbon Monoxide Monitors
Carbon monoxide is both odorless and tasteless. But these facts don’t prevent the gas from representing one of the most dangerous substances with which most humans will ever contact.
The production of this dangerous gas can happen in your home when fossil fuels fail to burn completely. A carbon monoxide monitor will provide you with a strong defense against this invisible danger.
Maintaining the indoor air quality in your home is relevant to both comfort and safety. Call Wood Air Conditioning & Plumbing to address indoor air quality concerns in your home.
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