How To Improve Indoor Air Quality New York, NY
How much time do you spend inside your home or other buildings? For most people, it’s quite a bit of time, particularly during the wintertime. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that in the United States, people spend 90% of their time on average indoors. As a result, indoor air pollution may be a greater risk to people’s health than outdoor air pollution!
The most effective way to improve indoor air quality is to reduce or remove the source of the air pollutant. Ensuring proper ventilation and utilizing air cleaners also help improve indoor air quality.
1. Control the source
Removing the source of the contaminant is often the easiest and most cost-effective way to minimize or eliminate the problem. For example, by reducing the use of candles and incense containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), you can easily improve indoor air quality.
Reducing mold in the home is another relatively easy tactic. Mold can be removed with soap and warm water in areas less than one square meter. However, sometimes mold cannot be removed as easily, and contaminated materials may need to be replaced.
Strategies to control humidity and prevent mold growth include:
• Covering pots with a lid when cooking
• Drying your window sills if condensation is visible
• Ensuring the dryer efficiently vents air towards the outside
• Fixing any leaks
• Hanging laundry to dry outside
• Keeping curtains and blinds open
• Repairing damaged grout, caulking, or tiles
• Sealing plumbing pipes with foam insulation if there is condensation present
• Using a bathroom exhaust fan during and after a shower
• Using a kitchen exhaust fan during and after cooking
In other cases, hiring a professional may be necessary to control or remove the source of a contaminant. For example, exposed areas containing asbestos can be enclosed and sealed by a professional. It’s also important to measure whether there is radon present in your home. You can measure radon levels by purchasing a measuring device yourself or by hiring a professional. It may also be necessary to hire a professional to remove large amounts of mold from certain materials.
Regular cleaning can also help prevent and control sources of contamination. Vacuuming carpets with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to remove trapped dust and small particles and cleaning hard floors with a mop are simple examples. Because cleaning products often emit VOCs, it’s important to ventilate your home properly during use. Consider choosing cleaning products that are environmentally safe and contain fewer VOCs. Read product labels and contact the manufacturer of the product to learn more about the listed ingredients. Lastly, do not mix different cleaning products because they can create harmful VOCs.
2. Ensure proper ventilation
By increasing outdoor air circulation inside, you can easily improve the ventilation of your home or building. One of the easiest ways to do this is by opening windows and doors to let in the fresh air. Make sure outdoor air conditions are safe before opening windows and doors. You can look up your local outdoor air quality by referring to your city’s air quality index.
Contact the professionals at EZ-Breathe Systems today! 866-822-7328
