Steps to Having Clean Air in Your Home
Make your indoor environment clean and healthy this winter season Most people do not realize that the indoor air quality can be worse in someone’s home than the outside are in a large metropolitan area. There several easy things you can do to ensure you and your family a clean and health indoor air environment.
Some of these tips won’t cost you 1 cent, but it will require you to use common sense.
A clean furnace is very important. If your furnace is dirty and has not been serviced in some time, it is worth having an expert come and look at the unit. A properly maintained furnace will work more efficiently, increase the life of the furnace, and emit less carbon dioxide in to your home.
All gas burning appliances should have some sort of exhaust fan. If you are cooking on the stove an overhead hood fan should be on in the winter. Make sure the exhaust tube from your gas burning dryer is tightly fit and flowing free without any obstruction. Since your home is shut tightly during the cold season, these harmful CO gases have little chance to escape. They end up in your lungs and could potentially cause you and your family harm.
Don’t smoke indoors. If you smoke, go outdoors. It’ll clear the air of the smell and yellow dinge left by tobacco smoke, not to mention make your home more pleasant.
Have your air ducts checked and cleaned by a certified company. The EPA gives stamps of approvals for qualified air duct cleaning companies. If you have never had your air ducts cleaned it would be a big benefit to have a professional come take a look to see if a cleaning is required.
Change heater filters monthly. You’ll increase the life and efficiency of your heater and enjoy better air quality.
Always clean any of your plumbing with bleach to kill any mold or mildew that may develop.
Dehumidifiers in the basement can help keep the moisture levels down. Bacteria and mold thrive in more humid environments.
Open up your windows if the temperature rises to above freezing. It is good to air out some rooms once in a while, even in the middle of winter. Do it before you leave the house for the day. Then set you thermostat to hold at about 60. When you return set it to what ever temp you normally have it at during the colder months. 63 is pretty warm believe it or not.
Proper ventilation in your attic or crawl space will be another way to reduce the humidity and help prevent mold growth in these areas.
Don’t idle the car in the garage. A major carbon monoxide producer. Have your home tested by a heating/cooling specialist. Test for mold, carbon monoxide, radon, and anything unique to your region or neighborhood. It’s a small price to pay and you’ll breathe a lot easier.
Indoor Pollutant Primer Bacteria are microorganisms that thrive in wet areas of the home and are often food-borne. Effects range from sore throats to food poisoning. Biological contaminants are life-based contaminants including bacteria, mold, viruses, animal dander, house dust mites and pollen. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that reduces oxygen levels in your body. Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, weakness, confusion and sometimes death. Formaldehyde is a colorless, pungent-smelling chemical that can cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes and throat, and sometimes breathing difficulties. It’s common in pressed woods, and unvented gas stoves can produce it. Mold and mildew are fungi. They gradually destroy items they grow on and can cause allergic reactions, headaches, labored breathing, skin irritation and more. Nitrogen dioxide is a colorless, odorless gas that irritates eyes, nose and throat and can cause shortness of breath. Perchloroethylene is a drycleaning chemical that causes cancer in animals. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas in the ground. Radon can cause cancer, however it’s inexpensive to detect and there are effective, often inexpensive ways to rid homes of radon. The EPP recommends all homes be tested for radon. Having a clean indoor environment is important to you and your family’s health.
The author works for Weltman Home Services of New Jersey. Experts NJ Plumbers and New Jersey PLumbing. Weltman Home Services is a leading contract company in Central New Jersey.
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