The average person spends 90% of their time
indoors! Healthy indoor air can make a
huge difference in your overall health.
How would you rate you indoor air quality?
Take the Lung Association’s Healthy Home Tour to take closer look at different areas in you home and how they contribute to your indoor air quality. Designed to help you find out what can be harmful to you and your family, the Healthy Home Tour is the perfect tool to help you determine the quality of your air.
You can also follow these tips for improving indoor air quality:
Clean your air ducts! Air ducts can become clogged with pet hair,
dust, building materials, mould, bacteria and fungal growth. Every time your heater operates, these
contaminants are fed through your heating system and into the air you
breathe. All forced heating systems
require periodic cleaning.
Clean your floors
regularly. Vacuum one – two times per week with a HEPA filter to ensure dust and debris is not
blown back into the air. Finish with
mopping to catch any left over debris.
You can even mop with plain water or even use a microfibre mop.
Check your humidity levels. Homes with high levels of moisture in the air are more likely to
have issues with mould. Controlling
humidity will help you limit mould growth – consider using a hygrometer to
measure humidity levels and a dehumidifier to reduce high humidity.
Avoid Chemical Pollutants. Smoking isn’t the only potential pollutant of indoor air. Harsh chemical cleaners should also be
avoided, or minimized, due to their strong synthetic fragrances that emit
chemicals into the air. The Lung Association
recommends making your own cleaning solutions using ingredients such as
baking soda, vinegar or lemon juice mixed with water.
Improve Ventilation. Poor ventilation
is a contributor to mould growth and has a huge effect on indoor air
quality. Make sure you home is letting
in enough fresh air while also using exhaust fans that vent to the
outside. Exhaust fans that vent to the
outside are incredibly important for venting moist air from your bathroom or
above your stove.
Bring in Houseplants. Houseplants can
help clean the air in your home by filtering out different pollutants. Check
out these 15 houseplants that help improve indoor air quality via the
Mother Nature Network.
Avoid
Scented Candles and Air Fresheners. Commercial air fresheners can release harmful chemicals and pollutants in the air, with
some even containing phthalates.
Scented candles may also contain similar pollutants, with the addition
of soot residues. If you can’t give up
your candle or fresheners, look for a natural alternative such as essential oil
diffusers or soy based candles.
Georgian Duct Cleaning is a family owned business in Simcoe County with over 20 years experience working with residential, commercial and industrial HVAC ducts. Call us for a free quote or for more information. (705) 722-5952 or 1-800-363-2563