Clean Home Air
Some Common Contaminates
Some of the most commonly elevated indoor pollutants that need to be controlled are VOC’s and particulates.
What Are VOC’s ?
VOC’s or volatile organic compounds are chemicals from man-made items such as building materials, furniture, varnish, and paints. VOC’s are also released by personal care products. Perfumes, air fresheners, deodorants, nail polish remover, and hairsprays are common sources. Other household chemicals that build up indoors includes solvents from glues, chemicals from cleaning products, and even pesticides. Chemicals in the garage or basement such as gasoline, and paint thinner also end up in the home at higher levels than most of us realize. High VOC levels can be an extremely unhealth or even dangerous obstacle to maintaining good indoor air quality.
What are Particulates ?
Dust, mold spores, and allergens from mold roaches, rodents, and other pests can build up in homes. Even allergens from pets have a tendency to build up in homes. Did you know that according to the book titled Bioaerosols Assessment and Control dust is made up of 80% dead skin cells. The dead skin cells, hair, textile fibers, plant fibers, dirt, and tiny fragments of insect body parts accumulate and become food for dust mites. Dust mites in turn release allergens.
What Can Be Done to Help Maintain Clean Home Air Quality?
There are a couple of frequently overlooked things you can do to make sure you promote cleaner indoor air quality. Improving the air quality in your home may be easier than you think if you can just implement a few new habits in your routine.
Consider the Quality of your Vacuum.
Not all vacuums are created equal. Insist on buying a vacuum with a HEPA Filter to make sure you are trapping particles it picks up including but not limited to dust, dirt, textile fibers, and mold spores. Replace or clean all filters on the machine as prescribed by the manufacturer, most have two filters. If you don’t use a vacuum with good and properly maintained HEPA filters, you’ll be pumping a cocktail of dust, dirt, and allergens directly into your air when you think you are actually cleaning. Clean your vacuum cleaner interior as often as is recommended by the vacuum manufacturer.
Change Your AC Filter
Wash reusable AC filters or change disposable AC filters about once a month. If your AC uses a cheap boars hair filter that lets light shine through very easily consider an upgrade to a pleated filter or some other better quality filter.
Consider an Air Purifier
Air purifiers such as Austin Air Filters Conway and IQ Air Filters are be some of the best tools you can use to maintain clean home air and general good indoor air quality. Such devices are plug in stand-alone filters separate from the AC unit filter. The machines filter dust particles, pollen, dirt, and mold spores, from the air with a powerful HEPA Filter cartridge. These devices also have carbon or resin that will lower levels of VOCs in your air.
An Old Fashion Procedure
To maintain clean indoor air quality open doors and windows. Do so in a manner that creates cross ventilation. In other words, open doors and windows that are opposite each other. When open doors or windows are on opposite sides of the house a breeze can flow through and flush out and replace your air. In addition to lowering levels of VOC’s this can also flush out dust, stale musty air, and household odors produced when cooking.
If it is humid outside do not open doors and windows more often than you have to. If humidity levels are below 60% outside, opening doors and windows is a great idea. Just make sure it is safe to do so in your neighborhood, and make sure to close and lock them when done. Also, pests can enter so utilize a screen when doing this. Simply opening a few doors and windows for an hour or so will allow fresh dry air to circulate throughout your home. This clean air can reach places where chemicals and odors might be accumulating.
Common Questions About Maintaining Clean Home Air
QUESTION
Should I buy a mold test kit instead of having a mold inspection done?
ANSWER
No
Never use any type of mold or other air quality home test kit in place of a mold inspection or other indoor air quality investigation by a qualified mold inspector or indoor air quality consultant.
If you have an air quality problem or mold problem the services of a local area mold inspector or indoor air quality consultant will be beneficial. The goal of such a consultant is to help find the problem, and to diagnose the cause of the problem. A mold consultant should also provide written information on what needs to be done to correct the problem.
QUESTION
Should I buy an air purifier in place of getting rid of mold or other sources of air quality problems?
ANSWER
No
You can buy an air purifier. They can remove some spores, dust, and chemicals from your air. They often improve your overall air quality. But if you have a mold problem or other air quality problem you need to have the moisture, or humidity problem, or other defect corrected by a properly and fully qualified contractor. Next have the moisture, humidity, mold, or other air quality problem removed by a properly qualified professional mold remediator.
QUESTION
Can I do my own remediation?
No
Many people clean very small simple mold problems on hard surfaces as part of routine indoor and outdoor cleaning. Such as done on surfaces that homeowners would typically clean and that are too small for mold remediators to address. True mold remediation of areas more than a few square feet should be done by a professional mold remediator.
Never do your own remediation of true mold problems or other forms of environmental contamination. You could expose your lungs, your family, and your home to mold, asbestos, or lead.
These tips have been brought to you by A Accredited Mold inspection Service, Inc. Providing mold inspections and air quality testing since 2003.
Call us at 1-888-381-6651 if you need professional mold or air quality consultation services in South Florida.