If you’re like most people, you spend about 90% of your time indoors. You may be shocked to discover that the air in your home is two to five times more polluted than the air outside. Use these four tips in order to reduce your exposure to indoor air pollutants and breathe easier at home.
1. Practice Source Control
Be choosy about what you bring into your home. Dry-cleaned clothing, hobby glues, and adhesives and upholstery coated with stain-resistant sealants are common sources of indoor air pollutants. Choose wisely, and look for products that are free of volatile organic compounds.
2. Allow Items to Off-Gas
Before you bring a new piece of furniture, plastic toy, or freshly dry-cleaned clothing into your living space, allow it to off-gas first. If you have a garage, this is a good place for off-gassing. Let the item air out for a couple of days before bringing it into your home. If this isn’t possible, place the item outdoors in sunlight for a whole day. The circulating air and sunshine will dispense many pollutants.
3. Increase Ventilation
Add passive and active ventilation to your home. Passive options include open windows and edge and ridge vents on your roof. Active ventilation options include a heat recovery ventilator, energy recovery ventilator, whole-house fan, and attic fan. These bring in fresh outdoor air and filter it before it enters your living areas.
4. Install an Air Purifier
An air purifier uses one or more methods to remove or inactivate indoor air pollutants. There are portable purifiers for a single room and whole-house air purifiers that work with your heating and cooling system. Whole-house air purifiers use UV-C technology and electrostatic filters in order to remove particles and inactivate allergens and germs.
At Champion Air, we’re the trusted source for residential heating and cooling services. To learn more about reducing your exposure to indoor air pollutants or to schedule an appointment, call us today!
