So far in this series, we have demonstrated how crucial it is to maintain healthy Indoor Air Quality. We discussed many of various forms of indoor air pollution and how dangerous some of these airborne contaminants can be if not found and eliminated and we have described some of the effects they have on our health, safety and well-being.
As a result, in Part 3, we talked about several of the products and services we at Kettering-Oakwood Heating & Air offer as part of our endeavor to help local homeowners breathe cleaner, safer and healthier indoor air.
Now, in our conclusion of this four-part series, we comprised a short list of D-I-Y tips below for homeowners looking for ways to improve the air quality in their home.
Ventilation Means Victory
The next time you decide to cook in your kitchen, or take a shower, try to always keep in mind how adequate ventilation is your friend in the fight against indoor air pollution. Keeping your home as well-ventilated as possible can lead to “victory” in the battle against indoor air pollution. Anytime you spray something or do something that releases even a little bit of smoke or steam or dust into the air, remember this: We say “V” is for ventilation.”
Because today’s modern homes are made to be airtight to keep treated air inside and energy bills down, if there’s any kind of moisture, smoke or pollution in the home, it gets trapped.
As such, most people don’t realize their bathrooms emanate more moisture into their home than any other room. On top of that our kitchens are another major source of residential air pollution; kitchens concoct a slew of fumes that emanate from our baking, cooking, cleaning and dishwashing activities. Experts say a stream of grease, smoke, carcinogens, vapors and other airborne particles can originate from the kitchen and spread into the rest of the home.
Remember this the next time you see or smell aerosol spray, smoke or any other type of fumes or particles. You can boost your Indoor Air Quality by embracing the fact that Ventilation is Our Friend.
If you come across some indoor pollution and you lack access to ventilation, if all else fails, you can simply open a window to enable the stuff out. If you can, grab a fan to blow that polluted air out the window.
Smart Dusting for Smart Homeowners
When things like mold, dirt, dust, pollen, and other impurities end up in your home, it can pollute the air everyone’s breathing. Such is why we advise homeowners to watch out for these sorts of things, and to remove as much as possible.
One strategy for removal we call “smart dusting.”
And what exactly is “smart dusting?” You might be wondering..
In case you didn’t know, “smart dusting” is an easy, common sense approach to cleaning or dusting. The next time you decide to dust your home, remember the goal is to remove all of the dust. We want to avoid merely pushing it around, as some do, or pushing onto somewhere else.
To do this effectively, “smart dust” begins in the highest places in your home, like ceiling fans and curtains.
When you start dusting these higher places first, you can effectively remove all the dust and work your way downward to the lower areas last. Dust falls downward naturally; so as you’re working your way downward, any falling or loose dust won’t end up on a surface you’ve already done.This way you don’t need to back-track.
However, that’s not all, there’s one more aspect to remember.
To make your “smart dusting” even more effective, use only a dampened cloth instead of that dirty old feather duster that never worked well to begin with. A dampened cloth will help you do a much better job of collecting all the dust up without leaving any behind. Just remember to rinse out the cloth periodically and give it a good wringing out each time before dusting more.
Keep Dust Mites at Bay
There’s nothing quite as soothing as getting home after a long day at work and at the end of the evening climbing into bed to snuggle up to our favorite pillow.
Most people love their pillows. However, as weird as this sounds, we aren’t the only ones that love our favorite pillow. It turns out our pillows are home to tiny dust mites that thrive inside the cotton. In fact, this unsettling revelation becomes clearer with recent research revealing how mattresses and pillows gain a small amount of weight after a period of time because these tiny critters leave their droppings and other forms of waste inside. When you fully grasp this, you might not look at pillows the same again.
The best remedy for keeping this situation from affecting your nightly breathing is getting washable pillowcase covers, which we suggest for the betterment of your indoor air quality. Covering your pillows with pillowcases allows you to relax on your favorite pillow without these tiny bugs causing breathing annoyances.. Furthermore, you can keep your pillowcase clean by washing it once every month. And, depending on the type of pillow you have, you can usually wash it every season when the seasons change.
Keep Your Mattresses and Beds Bug Free
If you like the last idea we mentioned above, we encourage you to take it one step further by investing in covers on your mattress also. This is an even greater idea for those who suffer from allergies. Similar to pillows, mattresses also can turn into an oasis for these tiny dust mites. Lastly, we also suggest cleaning your headboards and bed frames often, or anything encased with fabric, and consider covering them as well.
Outside Air Pollution Belongs Outside
If you are having issues with air pollution in your home and things like allergens are causing problems, remember to keep your windows closed at all times to keep pollen and other particles at bay. More important than that, we recommend reinstating a policy of “no shoes in the house” to make sure everyone takes off their shoes before coming into your home. To support this idea, you might set aside an area at the entryway designated for shoes. You might also lay out a mat there for visitors to clean off their feet. Unless you are adamant., people and pets coming in and out day after day will continue to drag outside contaminants inside with them.
Keep A Cool Home to Curb Humidity
If you know anyone who’s had a mold treatment in their home, you probably realize how dangerous mold can be in a residential setting, and how expensive it is to treat it. Mold is a severe indoor health hazard that can become a problem without a homeowner knowing it’s there.
Without proper detection and correction, mold and mildew can ravage a person’s respiratory system. The health effects can go above and beyond those of allergy symptoms. Earlier in this series, we’ve explained how helpful dehumidifiers can be. That’s the most effective solution. However, a cheaper solution that might help keep mold at bay is to try to keep cool temperatures in your home. This will help curb humidity levels because mold and dust mites need humid and damp conditions to thrive. In any case, when it comes to mold, it’s never worth risking your health.
HEPA Filter Vacuums
In the ongoing fight against indoor air pollution, scientists are quick to point out that not all vacuum cleaners are effective. Some vacuum cleaners do a better job, by far, at stopping indoor air pollution from spreading than others. If you’ve done any research you understand why we say it’s important to use a bagless vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter. Using a HEPA filter will help keep your indoor air cleaner.
With that said, looking ahead, the next time you ever decide to replace your flooring, remember that wood flooring is the best choice for sustaining good indoor air quality. Wooden floors and other styles of solid hard flooring can be dusted and mopped, which makes them much better options than carpeting, especially if you are looking to improve your home’s air quality, or if you deal with allergy problems.
Put Health and Safety First: Get Your Air Tested Today!
Allowing one of our friendly certified professionals to test your Indoor Air Quality is a wise investment well worth making. You will have peace of mind knowing our tests ensure your air quality, which affects your health, safety and well being. You will know your home is not at risk from hidden airborne toxins.
We test for carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, other dangerous gases and formaldehyde. While some places carry DIY test kits out there that might check for allergens, mold, and other particles, you should think about whether you’d like to test for radon or other gases that could be poisoning the air in your home without you knowing about it..
The fully truly reliable tests are the ones conducted by professionals who are certified and qualified and know what they’re doing. If you are thinking about using a Do-It-Yourself test kit from a store, you should be advised that those tests are usually pretty limited in scope and you always run the risk of it not being 100 percent accurate. The way we see it, if you’re going to pay to have it done, you might as well do it the right way. If we detect an indoor air quality problem, we can tell you how to resolve it the same day, providing you with a list of options.
MAINTENANCE IS A MUST
If you’re making Indoor Air Quality a priority in your home, keep in mind that seasonal maintenance will benefit you in a variety of ways. When we come out for a maintenance appointment, we will not only ensure your system’s continued efficiency (which will enhance the quality of the air in your home), but we will also identify any minor issues that could become major repair bills later on if not caught. These little issues like to snowball and show up as big problems down the road. Our techs go through a long list of procedures, cleaning operations; they carefully fine-tune your HVAC system and conduct numerous checks and inspections; they analyze the condition of your air ducts and, of course, look at your air filters and any other area that might possibly need attention.
When it comes to your intricate, expensive HVAC system, we have a saying: “It will always pays off, in the end, in dividends, when you become proactive with your home’s expensive system than to be reactive ‒ especially for those with health issues from air quality problems.”
Our HVAC systems are fine-tuned machines valued at up to many thousands of dollars. We know this better than anyone. And yet we offer 24-hour emergency services and we guarantee customer satisfaction every time.
Don’t Let Hidden Pollutants Become a Risk! For Peace Of Mind, Give Us a Call!
We at Kettering-Oakwood Heating & Air remain committed to helping local residents keep their home comfort levels optimal. Heating and Cooling is what we do. And yet at the same time, we also strongly believe in helping our customers keep their homes healthy and safe by making indoor air quality a high priority. Because indoor air pollution has such a substantial effect on our health and wellbeing, we hope you find this information useful. If you are interested in any of the products and services we offer, or if you’d like to know more, give us a call 937-502-3842 or Click Here to schedule an appointment now.
