Air quality is an important topic to talk about. With air pollution being a worsening problem, you should make sure that the air in your house is clean and safe for you and your family. Everyone deserves to be able to breathe healthy air. This guide will help you learn how to check the quality of the air in your home so that no one has to suffer from bad indoor air.
1. Invest In An Indoor Air Quality Monitor
You’ve probably heard that indoor air quality can be worse than outdoor air. In fact, it may even be more dangerous to your health. Why? It’s because you’re likely spending the majority of your day inside, where potentially harmful substances are seeping in through windows or cracks in doors and accumulating over time. There is a wide array of indoor air pollutants that pose a threat to your health, such as dust, mold spores, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and radon gas.
2. Do Mold Test In The Air
One of the most prevalent indoor air pollutants is mold. You may not even know that you have it, but if you experience dry patches on your walls or a musty smell in certain areas of your home, then this could be an indication there’s hidden mold growth present within these spots. To test for the presence of airborne particles, there are some helpful tools you can use.
The first is an air quality monitor, which will assess the level of mold spores in your home and send a reading to your phone or computer. The second option is particle counters that detect the number of particles floating in the air, such as dust, pollen, and smoke particles. They’re perfect for households with pets because they’re more sensitive and won’t register the particles from animals.
3. Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Carbon Monoxide Alarms are a useful safety precaution for any home. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas emitted by the burning of natural and man-made materials such as coal, wood, oil, or propane appliances such as furnaces, ovens, stovetops, or water heaters.
4. Do A Radon Test
The EPA recommends homeowners check for radon gas in their homes. Radon can cause lung cancer and is the second-leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). You should start by checking your home’s air quality with a test kit you buy from a hardware store or similar place. The EPA recommends testing in the lowest level of your home, preferably a basement or ground-level room.
How To Improve Air Quality In Your Home?
Following are some of the tips that will help you to improve the air quality in your home:
Check The Air Ducts
The air ducts in your home are the most neglected part of your house. If you want to improve air quality at home, do not forget to inspect and clean them regularly. You can hire a professional HVAC company like Anderson Air or just use household solutions like vinegar with water; these will help eliminate any unwanted pollutants that may be residing inside the ducts. Inspect the air ducts and clean them regularly with household solutions to improve your home’s air quality.
Change The Air Filter
The first and easiest way to check air quality is to change the filter. This can be done easily by following these steps:
- Find a small vacuum cleaner without attachments, preferably one with a rotating brush or foam for cleaning up dry spills.
- Unplug the vacuum cleaner from any outlets near other electronics that might get damaged if the power goes out.
- Remove the vacuum cleaner’s bag and throw it away in a sealed plastic or paper bag to avoid contaminating the environment.
- Put your hand over one end of the hose, where the air is coming out, then put that end into an open canister with at least two cups of water for five minutes.
- Remove the hose from the water and put your hand over one end of it again.
- Plug in a vacuum cleaner to an outlet near other electronics, then turn on the vacuum cleaner with a couple of clicks of its power switch.
- Check for air leaks by putting your finger at different places along with the hose until you find where there is less suction.
- Turn off the vacuum cleaner, unplug it from the outlet near other electronics and remove any attachments before replacing the bag or filter.
- Reattach the hose to the vacuum cleaner’s end, then turn on a vacuum cleaner with a couple clicks of its power switch and seal the canister by holding an edge closed.
Keep Rugs And Carpets Clean And Cleaning Easier
Always make sure that your carpets and rugs are vacuumed at least once a week. If you have pets, this should be done daily or every other day, depending on how much they go out of the house. This prevents them from becoming dirty very quickly as well as keeping potential allergens such as pet dander and hair from building up.
Invest In Cooking Vents
You should invest in cooking vents if you have a gas range. These are meant to protect your home from any smells or fumes that come out of the kitchen. They will also help keep food odors from spreading throughout the house, which is always a plus when it comes to entertaining guests.
Do Some Humidity Control
The best way to reduce the amount of toxic mold and bacteria is by doing some humidity control. Make sure that you change your air filter at least every month; this will help with circulating fresh air in the house. You can also invest in a humidifier or an exhaust fan. These are a few ways to keep the moisture under control; if the humidity is too high, it can lead to an environment where mold will thrive.
Buy Plants To Freshen The Air
Every time you get a new plant, it will release oxygen into the air. If plants are in your bedroom or office, they can help to purify and freshen the air throughout those rooms. You can also add larger plants like English Ivy or Peace Lily on top of your bookshelves for similar benefits.
It’s important to clean the air in your home and make sure that it is safe for you and your family. This guide will help you learn how to check the quality of the air in your home so that no one has to suffer from bad indoor air.
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