Monday 16 May 2016

Top 5 Contributors to Poor Indoor Air Quality

Top 5 contributors to poor indoor air quality!


Poor indoor air quality can have a direct impact on our lives and our health. If you’re experiencing symptoms of poor indoor air quality, such as dryness and irritation of the eyes, headaches, fatigues, shortness of breath or sinus congestion, you should take some steps to make improvements. The first step in improving your home or office’s air quality, is understanding what contributes to poor indoor air quality in the first place.


There are many offenders when it comes to poor indoor air quality. Everything from dust and pollen to off-gassing furniture can contribute. We’ve narrowed down the top 5 worst offenders.


  1. Dust & Dust Mites. Dust is one of the worst offenders. It seemingly comes from nowhere and covers everything if left alone for long enough. It can contribute to breathing and respiratory illnesses, allergies, skin problems, and more. Be sure to dust surfaces regularly to cut down on the amount of dust in your home. Air purifiers and vacuums with filters build in can help with this as well. Don’t forget to dust your blinds and bookshelf!
  2. Off-Gassing. New household products such as furniture, countertops, cabinets, appliances, carpeting, and more can release VOCs and gases into the air including formaldehyde. When installing new furniture or other household items, you can open a window to allow for better air ventilation while the furniture off-gasses, or turn on an air purifier to help speed up the process.
  3. Smoking. Cigarette smoke releases a wide range of chemicals such as formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, VOCs, and particulate matter. Avoid smoking indoors, or close to any vents, windows, or entrances, to improve your indoor air quality.
  4. Pet Dander. We love our animal pals like family! But sometimes, especially certain breeds of cats dogs, and birds, can create dander and dust from skin and fur that can contribute to poor indoor air quality. If you have a furry or feathered friend, there are things you can do to mitigate this! Keep your pet’s area (crate, cage..) clean. Bathe your pet regularly - especially if they’ve spent a lot of time outdoors. Brushing dogs and cats,and keeping them groomed can also help cut down on fur and dander in the air. Vacuuming regularly also helps!
  5. Garage Activities. If your home has an attached garage, the activities that take place inside of it can contribute to poor indoor air quality as well! Starting and idling a car, starting a lawn mower, operating a generator, cutting wood/carpentry, painting, etc. all release a variety of VOCs, including carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, and more. Try to ventilate your garage well and keep doors from your home to the garage closed and well sealed.


Air duct cleaning is number one in our list of steps to improve indoor air quality. Air ducts can become clogged with contaminants including any of the items listed above! Every time your heater operates, these toxins are fed through your heating system and into the air you breathe. Regular cleaning of your air ducts will eliminate these contaminants and drastically improve your home’s air quality.

In order to eliminate the threat of mould, bacteria or viruses in your ducts, we can also use our Benefact Herbal Based Sanitizer. The sanitizer contains thyme oil, an effective germ-killing ingredients that is less toxic than vinegar. Benefact kills over 99.99% of bacteria and surpasses Health Canada’s efficacy requirements for a broad range of disinfectants.

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