Simple Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality

The following tips on how to improve indoor air quality
has been brought to you by A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc.

Providing mold and air quality testing
and inspections in South East Florida since 2003.

Did you know you can perform some very simple things that may greatly improve the cleanliness of your homes air.
Have you made it a point to:
Clean and dust in hard to reach areas of your home regularly.
Install good quality air conditioner filters.
Dispose of toxic chemicals.
Or hire a professional pest control company to rid your property of
rodents and roaches that may release allergens in your
attic, crawl space, or walls without your knowledge? You will be surprised to know that your air quality will be immensely benefited once you follow these simple steps:

Dust

Dust is a primary food source for dust mites, and dust mites can trigger allergy and asthma. In addition, recent studies at Ohio State University have shown that dust is a storage reservoir for household chemicals. You may be breathing in dust saturated with household chemicals, and dust mite allergens, with each breath you take.

Dust often becomes a problem only in those areas where we do not look for it. Check ceiling fans, the top side of your refrigerator, in dark corners, and behind furniture.

Dust Behind Beds

Some of the most problematic areas are behind and under beds. When you sleep at night, you may be sleeping only a few feet from a dust mite breeding ground behind or under your bed. The fact that you are so close to it makes it much worse. Areas behind master bedroom headboards can be nearly impossible to clean because master bedroom beds are often too heavy for one person to move during cleaning.

Dust in AC Closets

Dust is especially problematic in AC closets. AC units can pull dust into dark, rarely visited AC closets where it settles and build up for years without us ever seeing what is going on. The AC closet is one of the worst places to have dust build up. The reasons it is an indoor air quality concern is because in dusty AC closets dust, and the mold spores, chemicals, and allergenic dust mites in the dust comes into contact with air in the AC closet. Now you have poor indoor air quality in your AC closet. When your AC turns on that air may be pulled into the AC unit where it is then blown out the AC ducts for you to breath.

Thus, in order to improve your indoor air quality, it is imperative that you clean dirt and dust from under and behind furniture, inside AC closets, in dark corners, and in other often forgotten places on a regular basis.

In addition, it is beneficial to change burnt out light bulbs and open windows so adequate lighting is available prior to cleaning. Under correct lighting, you will be able to see more dust, and the more dust you can see, the more dust you can remove.

Filtration

When you have a poor quality AC filter such as a cheap boars hair filter you can allow dust, pollen, soot, and dirt, into the AC unit. Such contaminates will build up in your air conditioner and ducts and serve as a food source for mold and bacteria in your AC. In addition, it can allow dust problems to persist in the home because a poor filter, or missing filter, will allow contaminates to bypass your AC filter and circulate in your home for years. If the filter is a good quality one, and if it is installed property, it will remove pollen, dust, dirt, soot, mold spores, and other particulates from your air.

AC Filters and MERV Ratings

Get a good quality filter such as a pleated filter and not a cheap blue board hair filter.
Always be aware of the MERV rating of the filter you are buying. MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. The filters MERV rating tells you what size particles a filter will trap. The higher the MERV rating, the smaller the particles a filter will trap. You want a filter with a MERV rating between 8 and 13. Higher rated filters will remove smaller particles, but may cause too much strain on your AC fan as it tries to pull air through such a high efficiency filter.

Case Study

In the year 2023 I did a mold inspection at a condo in Palm Beach.

An AC serviceperson told the client he saw what he thought was mold or bacteria in the AC ducts. When I checked, I observed it was not an AC duct, it was a return plenum that brings air back to the AC unit. And the contamination was not mold, nor was it bacteria, it was about a 1/4 inch thick build-up of dust. It looks like the filter was missing since the condo was build years earlier.

Storage of Hazardous Materials

We all have dangerous substances in our homes. Cleaning chemicals, paints and solvents, herbicides, pesticides, and even personal care products such as nail polish remover, perfumes, and hair care products can cause serious indoor air quality concerns. They all contain chemicals called VOC’s. If you want to improve your indoor air quality it is important to lower the levels of such chemicals in the home.

The presence of such substances is not always the problem, the amount of such substances exposed to your air are what makes the poison. We cannot avoid chemicals in the home, how much exposure we experience is what is important to consider. The amount makes the difference between it being a problem and being just another stored chemical.

Case Study

During a recent inspection at a building in the Everglades our air quality consultant found paint, bleach, cleaning chemicals, and other chemicals stored under an AC unit. This was not the end of the world, but not the best place to store such things. Lead from fishing lures, mercury from old fashion thermometers, mercury from fluorescent light bulbs, pesticides, many harmful volatile chemicals from cleaning products and paint are common in many homes. Please store hazardous materials safely, and turn over un-needed hazardous items to your local poison control center, incinerator, or landfill for proper disposal.

Pest Control

Did you know that roaches and rats cause allergy?
During mold inspections our clients complain of odors and illness and they almost always suspect mold. After hours of inspections and testing we sometimes find that mold is not the problem at all. Sometimes people have rodents residing in the attic.

Roof Rats

In Florida, roof rats are very common in attics. It is interesting that they are not always in the lower income homes. In Florida, roof rats are common in the attics of middle-class homes, and even in nicer homes in expensive neighborhoods. The reason rats like middle class homes and nice homes may be because such homes are more likely to be build adjacent to a water supply such as a lake.

Roaches

We do not find roaches to be a problem in nicer homes. Roaches breed profusely in walls located behind kitchen cabinets and bathroom cabinets where leaks have occurred. And it is usually a problem only in lower income homes and apartments. A few times a year our inspector will smell roaches immediately upon entering a property. Roach infestation can cause serious indoor air quality problems. If you suspect rodents or roaches or any type of pest, call an exterminator. Keep rats from entering the home by having an exterminator seal openings where rats enter the attic. Control roaches by repairing any leaks immediately. Clean any and all grease or food crumbs from sinks, cabinets, utensil drawers, kitchen floors, and pantry closet floors.

Carpet Replacement

Carpets store large amounts of chemical residues, house dust, dirt from shoes, mold spores, pest and pet dander. If a carpet is in good shape and vacuumed regularly then it should be just fine to keep it. If your carpet is old and dirty, or if it has sustained repeated exposure to water, it may be best to replace it.

Vacuum Cleaner Quality

Use a good quality vacuum with a good quality filter. If your vacuum has a poor-quality filter then dust will be pulled from your floors and blown into your face when cleaning. Dyson makes good vacuums but they are expensive at around $500.00 for some models.

In commercial settings such as manufacturing facilities improvement of air quality may be difficult. In single family homes it is often within our reach to improve indoor air quality. So, why not take control of your air quality and your health, your lungs will thank you.

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