With spring just around the corner homeowners are just starting to air out their home to get rid of the stuffiness of winter but there’s a whole lot more to this annual tradition than just letting some warmth into your home and letting some stale air out. Every winter the average American’s home suffers from a significant drop in indoor air quality as homeowners all over the country spend more time indoors with very minimal ventilation. As a result, a wide variety of health concerns can arise from the prolonged exposure to poor air quality. That makes thorough and lasting air quality improvement measures an important part of homeownership, both as part of your spring cleaning this year and as an effort toward lasting improvements in your indoor air quality moving forward! Use these air quality improvement techniques to ensure that your family is comfortable and healthy all year-long!
Stop Specific Sources
There are a number of items within your home which can lead to decreased indoor air quality, including appliances with low energy efficiency, older insulation which may contain asbestos or interior paints which may contain lead or volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Fortunately, replacing and containing these sources is often easy and upgrading to a combination of newer models of appliances, low-VOC paints, or Energy Star rated items is an easy way to get years worth of fresh and healthy indoor air. In addition to all these improvements, homeowners who still smoke indoors can dramatically improve their indoor air quality simply by smoking outside only.
Ventilation
As the weather warms up, take time to let some fresh air into your home through doors and windows and through any HVAC system which you have in place. Make sure that before you rely too heavily on your ventilation system, however, that all filters and ductwork are properly and professionally cleaned. Otherwise, you’ll simply be exchanging pollutants and allergens from inside your home for pollutants and allergens outside of your home. This is especially important in rooms like the kitchen and bathroom where a lot of activity and a lot of moisture develops since this combination creates a perfect environment for pollutants and mold growth. In most cases HVAC system cleaning is very affordable and effective at making your home more comfortable and healthy throughout the sunny seasons to come.
Smart Spring Cleaning
As we discussed recently, there’s a growing movement within the home improvement field which is focused on green spring cleaning. Not only does this movement provide an environmentally friendly alternative to home cleaning, and an affordable alternative to buying costly cleaning supplies, it also ensures that your spring cleaning doesn't leave your home’s air full of chemicals which can be hazardous to your family’s health! Consider exploring making your own cleaning supplies this season to effectively and affordably clean your home and improve your air quality at the same time!
