How Clean is the Air Inside Your Home?

How Clean is the Air Inside Your Home?

 

 Indoor Air Quality is Important

The air inside a home can become unhealthy. It isn’t always a matter of lack of cleanliness or neglect to address dirty air problems.

Even in new and unoccupied homes, indoor air quality can be compromised. Air is that component of human existence that may seem invisible. Yet, there are times when air is quite visible.

For example, a cold winter day with frigid temperatures will show air expelled from each human breath. You can also see air in a glass container as water is poured into it too quickly. We hear air escaping when it is released from a flat tire.

Air is a mix of several types of gases such as oxygen and nitrogen. These gases contain tiny molecules. This is a clue to learning how to judge the level of air quality in your home.

Become an Air Quality Inspector

Once you know the air is a mix of gases, it makes a home inspection for potential problems easier to find.

The internal areas of your home have several possible causes of dirty air. Dust accumulates easily in homes located in windy areas just as it does in sandy beach locations. Dust in airstreams occurs when particles heavier than air clings to air molecules.

It is important to create a designated inspection list to ensure the air inside your home is clean. The list should include:

. Inspecting heating, cooling, and ventilating units and ductwork that collect dust and give off musty odors when actively in operation

. Replace furnace and A/C filters regularly

. Check pipes for leaks that create mold and mildew odors

. Vacuum floors, upper areas of walls, and draperies to remove dust

. Steam clean kitchen areas where cooking odors and grease lodge on walls

. Regular upholstery cleaning to remove stale odors

. Keep pet areas inside the home fresh and clean

. Sanitize floors and carpets regularly

Clean Air Inside Your Home for Good Health

Once you identify the causes of air quality problems, you may want to invest in an air purifier. For individuals prone to lung and sinus problems, an air duct cleaning can reduce the amount of dirty air inside the home.

Contrary to popular belief, opening windows may add to air quality problems depending on location. Keep in mind the use of air fresheners, hair spray, and perfumes in aerosol form adds to odor buildup in the air and on all surfaces.

An air quality professional begins with a sniff test. Next, special detection and metering equipment identify the particulates in the air and the volume. If the air inside your home is a persistent problem, you may need an indoor air quality expert to test the air.

For minor air quality issues, the best way to judge how clean the air is inside your home is the sniff test. If your nose detects odors, it’s time for cleaning.

 

jburn