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A Healthy Home Starts with Clean, Healthy Air

 

 

Improve Your Home Environment and Health by Keeping Your Air Cleaner

 

Your home is supposed to provide a safe, comfortable environment where you can relax and recover from the demands of each day. However, if your home has poor indoor air quality, spending time there may lead to irritating symptoms and even serious health problems. Fortunately, there are several simple ways that you can improve your indoor air quality and make your home environment healthier.

 

Handle Environmental Contaminants

 

Dust, allergens, pollutants, and microorganisms can cause respiratory irritation, allergy symptoms, and more severe health problems. Completely ridding your home of these contaminants may not be possible, but the following measures can help:

 

  • Clean frequently. You can remove many contaminants by vacuuming or shampooing the carpet, washing your sheets, cleaning your furnishings, and dusting regularly.
  • Invest in a quality air purifying system. These systems can remove dust and other allergens that linger in the air even after cleaning.
  • Properly maintain your home ventilation system. Otherwise, your system may allow contaminants to build up or enter your house.

 

These measures can help you mitigate the effects of the contaminants that you simply can’t keep out of your home.

 

Maintain Healthy Moisture Levels

 

High indoor humidity levels can make your home uncomfortable and have harmful health effects. Excessive levels of moisture can allow mold, mildew, and even dust mites to thrive and build up inside your home. These irritants can exacerbate allergies, asthma, and any other respiratory conditions that you suffer from.

 

High humidity usually isn’t a concern during colder months, since the process of heating your home air has a drying effect. During the warmer months, using a dehumidifier can help you keep home moisture levels at healthy levels. It’s also important to have your home ventilation system inspected regularly. Leaks or other issues may allow excessively moist air into your home, which can make moisture control more challenging, even if you use a dehumidifier.

 

Minimize Personal Pollutants

Woman And Girl Preparing Waste Paper For Recycling

Shielding your home from environmental pollutants can be difficult, but it is fairly easy to reduce your own contributions to poor indoor air quality. Start by limiting your use of products that give off harmful chemicals or byproducts. When possible, steer clear of harsh cleaning chemicals and scented products. Make sure that the products you regularly use don’t contain volatile organic compounds. Finally, avoid using tobacco products while indoors.

 

It’s also advisable to make sure that you aren’t unwittingly letting contaminants build up in your home. You can do this by having a professional periodically check that your home ventilation systems are properly removing any combustion byproducts that your home heating systems release.

 

Know When to Get Help

 

Unfortunately, these measures may not always be enough to keep your home air clean and healthy. Sometimes, contaminants can build up inside your walls or home ventilation system. When this occurs, you may frequently suffer symptoms such as difficulty breathing, sinus problems, headaches, nausea, and dizziness. You also may notice visible warning signs, such as indoor condensation, wall discoloration, warping of wood surfaces, and persistent indoor odors.

 

Usually, more direct tactics are needed to address this type of persistent indoor air quality problem. If you notice any of these signs, you may want to consider seeking the assistance of a professional who can identify the underlying problem and determine how to address it.

Article Submitted By Community Writer

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