Home should be your refuge, the place where you feel safest and can breathe easy. But what if the air inside your home is stuffy, stale or just downright dirty? Poor indoor air quality is common in American households, and if your home has bad air, it could be affecting your health.
Indoor pollutant levels can be significantly higher than outdoor levels, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. What’s more, the EPA notes, because most homes have multiple sources of indoor air pollution, the cumulative effect of all that pollution can lead to health problems. The problems may show up immediately or take years to emerge, the EPA says, and can include respiratory problems, eye and throat irritation, headaches, dizziness and fatigue.
In observance of National Indoor Air Quality Month this October, here are some common sources of indoor air pollution and what you can do to improve the air inside your home:
Install HVAC upgrades – Ultraviolet lights, humidifiers, dehumidifiers and filters are different ways to strip allergens and impurities from the air in your home. They can be costly so speak with a HVAC expert to see what is best for you.
Change your habits – You should take off your shoes when coming into the house. Did you know that 85 percent of the dirt that comes into your home comes in on shoes? You should vacuum the carpets in your home very frequently to eliminate dust mites. Cleaning your sheets and pillows once a week will get rid of the dead skin you shed at night.
Add houseplants – Most houseplants can scrub the air in your home. They exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide.
Keep your closets clean – Dust just keeps building up in closets. Anything made of cloth like your clothes bedding and towels shed little tiny fibers onto the ground and then they spread around the house. Vacuum your closets once a week to keep the dust at bay.
Clean your rugs the old-fashioned way. Vacuums will probably get most of the dirt in your rugs. Take the rugs outside, hang them up on a clothesline and then use a stick or broom to beat the dirt out of them.
Minimize the use of air fresheners and cleaning products – These products have synthetic chemicals and stay around for a while. Use natural alternative cleaning products.
Keep in mind that whether you are interested in buying a home or selling a home, a Realtor should represent you– this person is working for your benefit and will help you navigate through the buying or selling process. We have celebrated selling both New and Resale Homes for over thirty years…..
We are here to answer any questions you might have – just email jennifer@smithteamlvegas.com
Thanks and make it a terrific day…………The Smith King Team
