How’s Your Indoor Air Quality at Home?

What’s lurking in your air at home? We spend so much time enjoying the great indoors, our air should be as clean as possible. Air pollutants are everywhere, but there are easy DIY steps to help remove these toxins. Here’s how to evaluate your home room by room and make some improvements so your family can start breathing easier.

Kitchen

Ensure all kitchen appliances are ventilating properly. Safely store cleaning chemicals and double check there are no gas leaks from the oven or stove. If you cook a lot, check the exhaust fan as they catch a lot of cooking grease and should be cleaned frequently to remove buildup.

Living room

Our well-loved family spaces get lots of traffic and surfaces are likely hosting all kinds of indoor pollutants, such as dust, pet dander and smoke. Open the windows and ventilate properly to circulate good old-fashioned fresh air and vacuum rugs or carpet at least three times a week. Keep secondhand smoke out of the home as this is a dangerous pollutant and respiratory trigger. If you use a wood-burning fireplace, make sure to have it professionally swept each year.

Bathroom

Usually bathrooms are the dampest rooms in the house. Scrub showers and tiled surfaces often so mildew doesn’t move in and make sure to dry bath mats and towels thoroughly as mold (which the EPA has linked to asthma) likes to creep in wherever residual water is.*

Bedrooms

Dust mites love to live in bedding, textiles and pillows. Clean linens frequently and, again, vacuum floor rugs three times a week.

Basement

Hard working lower levels, basements and utility closets are often the main sources of air leaks and moisture. Check the basement frequently for cracks and gaps and seal these off to stop airflow (which will help keep your house cool and warm when you want it). Also, make sure any chemicals stored in this room are safe and sealed up so those gasses also do not become airborne.

Sources:

*https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/text-version-indoor-air-quality-house-tour