How Can You Tell If Your Home Has Poor Air Quality?

With the fires blazing out west, there's been a lot of talk about air pollution lately.

The focus has been on outdoor air quality, and understandably so.

But as the temperature drops and we begin to spend more time inside, it's important to take the time to ensure your home's indoor air is healthy, too.

How can you tell if your home has poor air quality?

Well, you may start to feel it... sneezing or a runny nose, coughing, itchy eyes or throat, and wheezing... are all telltale signs.

But even if you're not experiencing symptoms, your home's air could be a health risk.

Because indoor pollution is all around you.

Some signs you can see, like mildew and mold growth and dust buildup near vents.

Also, unpleasant or funky odors are a sign that's something's off with your air quality.

But unless you have a microscope, you'll never see all the dangers lurking in your home's air.

As we're about to head indoors for the colder months, it's the perfect time to start addressing the quality of your home's air.

One of the easiest things you can do is replace your air filters.

Most air filters need to be switched out every 1-3 months. When was the last time you changed yours?

If you have a tendency to forget changing your filters, try setting reminders in your phone. This has worked like a charm for me for over the last year.

Do you have a central HVAC system? If so, set the fan to "on," rather than "auto" so that it's constantly circulating and filtering air.

And if you really want to help keep your home's air healthy, consider getting a portable air purifier.

Nothing does a better job of keeping your home's air fresh and clean than a reliable air purifier.

While it won't eliminate all air pollutants, air purifiers with proper HEPA filters can reduce particle concentrations by as much as 85%.

Something else you can do to improve the quality of your home's air? Avoid activities that cause indoor air pollution.

Things like smoking. And using scented candles.

Now, I know this time of year is big for the candles.

The smell of pumpkin spice and cinnamon fill many homes.

But as pleasant as those scents are, the harm to your air quality just isn't worth it.

Before the pandemic, Americans spent 90% of their time indoors.

Today, that number is likely higher.

After all, we're staying in to stay safe.

So, keeping your home's air clean has never been more important.

 

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Comments

Jordan Pearlman - October 26, 2020

Never put the thermostat to the ON position for the AC fan. Especially in the South. It pulls in Humidity from
outdoors which is very conducive for Mold growth.

Velma - October 26, 2020

Every Spring I gather bamboo and burn it. Not down to ashes but to charcoal. Then I put the broken charcoal into cloth bags. Placing the bags around the house, the charcoal will soak up moisture and odors! With just a little work you can get a wonderful “recycling” product. Also, I take the old (2yrs. of service) and use the charcoal in my garden. The plants love it! Makes a great present as well.

RIck GEiger - October 26, 2020

I appreciate the apolitical pragmatic info that does not require a link or watching a video.

Quek Cumbetbatch - October 26, 2020

Our family is crawling out the end of a four year long most difficult struggle with black mold – one adult & three children. It wreaks havoc with immune systems, the detox is both physically & behaviorally very difficult & varies greatly from person-to-person, the path out of it is strewn with relapses and breaking-point crises, & the financial impacts are considerable. Expert medical & counseling support, and I mean expert backed by genuine knowledge, is absolutely essential – especially for the severe cases.
It is my opinion, having lived intimately with this, that (a) ADHD diagnoses are as much as 30% really mold infection related, (b) medical folk are ignorant generally of black mold & mis-diagnose it to a staggering degree, © testing to determine vector origination point(s) is really a hanky wave at best (e.g. air sampling instead of stabbing a large GSR testing), and schools being a huge source (think of roofing micro-cracks & freeze & thaw due to HVAC vibrations vs. deluge leaks).
I encourage you, if your “mold” interest is genuine, to get into this. The current wareness levels are akin to the very early awareness levels about lead in chipping paint.
Thank for reading & considering.
Semper fi

Dora - October 26, 2020

Thank you for those ideas about indoor air quality. I never thought about that before.

Debrah Price - October 26, 2020

Air quality is important, yet I wonder how good the air is that I breath while wearing a mask. I have COPD and have to stop every dozen steps or so and lift the mask in order to get pure oxygen because of breathing in my exhaust, which is trapped in the mask, with every breath. I have no problem with anyone wearing a mask, I prefer not to. My problem is with this “forced” mask wearing, have to wear a mask to enter a store. If “you” are wearing a mask why does it matter if I am? Does your mask not protect you? If your mask doesn’t protect you why would me wearing one protect you? Why are “you” projecting “your” fear onto me and demanding that I conform to it? Just a thought.

Carol - October 26, 2020

Good morning, Molds are are being sprayed on us.( Red, Yellow, green, black, yellow tree fungus) Black molds in store bought Vita,c). You should see the out side of my house. It has cedar siding. I had a humming bird feeder out this summer. It had black thick mold over the feeder where the birds feed. It stained it black. Back deck has a yellow mold growning under it on the wood. I am already working to clear my house. I have a pot on the porch that is also covered in thick mold. I have had for several yr’s never before has it looked like this. I hate ammonia but that is what I have been using to kill it. Bleach does not, it will release toxins from the molds. They have patents on it. Thank you.

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