Check Out These Quick, Easy & Effective IAQ Tips
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, six out of 10 homes are hazardous to their occupants’ health.
Before you panic, take a deep breath. The team you depend on when you’re in need of an air conditioning replacement in La Quinta, CA, has all of the IAQ solutions, equipment and knowledge you need to create a healthier home.
Taking the first step is easier—and quicker—than you may think. In fact, there are numerous small things you can do that will have a major impact on improving your home’s IAQ.
Here are a few that take no more than five minutes out of your day.
Use Mats to Trap Soil at Entries
When it comes to stopping pollutants, toxins and other contaminants from entering your home, entry mats play a major role. Place a recycled rubber mat outside every entry way and an interior mat just inside the door. These mats will work together to trap particles, moisture, dirt and more—preventing everyone from tracking gunk into your home.
Free Your Feet
Don’t step foot in your home until you take your shoes off. The soles of your shoes are covered with hundreds of pollutants, including dust, pollen, mold, pesticides and residues from pavements or other surfaces treated with chemicals, and bacteria. In fact, studies show that 96 percent of shoes contain over 420,000 units of bacteria! When you walk around your house with your shoes on, you’re helping spread these harmful pollutants through your home.
So, how do you keep the contaminants on your shoes out of your home? Wipe the bottoms of your shoes on an outside doormat. Then, promptly remove your shoes before entering your home. Store your shoes in a tray by the door or in a closet.
If you hate being barefoot in your house, here’s a simple solution: Keep a basket of indoor-only slippers or flip-flops by the door to slip on.
Use Exhaust Fans
Exhaust fans over the stove and in your bathroom are there for a reason—and that’s to protect your indoor air against the effects of cooking, showering and more.
When cooking with electric or gas burners, fine particles are produced and released into the air. Breathing in this particulate matter can lead to respiratory issues and other problems. However, you can significantly decrease the amount of particulate matter that stays in your home by taking a second to turn on the fume hood or your oven’s built-in exhaust fan before dishing up your next meal.
Next time you shower, remember to turn the exhaust fan on beforehand and leave it on for 10 minutes or so afterwards. Showering adds moisture to your home’s air. This excess moisture can lead to mold growth and cause nasal stuffiness, throat irritation, coughing or wheezing, eye irritation, skin irritation and other uncomfortable symptoms. Your exhaust fan will remove excess moisture from the air.
Dry Wisely
Drying your clothes indoors can lead to dampness and mold, which can aggravate asthma symptoms. It also can degrade the building material of your home, releasing nasty toxins. Hang clothes that you aren’t putting in the dryer outside or in a room that has a ventilation system, such as your bathroom.
Go Natural
Are your cleaning products doing more harm than good? Products that contain artificial fragrances, some cleaning products and candles are filled with indoor air pollutants. Plus, the chemicals found in air fresheners are carcinogenic and hormone distributors. Every time you use them, they release toxins into your home, negatively affecting your indoor air quality and causing or exacerbating allergies and asthma symptoms.
Check out the Environmental Working Group’s Healthy Cleaning Guide to discover which products you should remove from your household and which replacement options are eco-friendly and healthier. Or, go natural. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Use lemon wedges or a bowl of baking soda to remove odors.
- Make your own cleaning products with household ingredients, such as baking soda, lemon, vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. A crowd favorite is the 50/50 mix of vinegar and water.
- Use essential oil diffusers or stovetop potpourri to freshen your home’s air.
- Don’t undermine the simple act of opening your home’s windows to air it out.
Got Five More Minutes?
If so, click here to learn about how Timo’s indoor air quality solutions can help you attain a cleaner, healthier and safer indoor environment.
A comfortable, safe and healthy home is only a call or click away! Fill out our online form or call us at 760.475.9542 to schedule an IAQ system installation or an air conditioning installation in Indian Wells, CA, or wherever you call home today!
