When winter arrives, home owners must prepare for colder temperatures. This means cleaning up the landscaping and patio furniture, putting items away until the spring season. It also means preparing your heating system to provide warming heat for you and your family to be comfortable. While home owners are busy getting the home ready for winter, air quality can easily be forgotten. While many think that the winter months are a time when dust and particles are lower in the home, this is not necessarily true. During the winter, the home is subject to just as much dust and debris, disturbing the air and providing low air quality.
When winter arrives, you must spend more time in doors and have the home shut up tight to avoid the cold temperatures outside. Because of this, the environment in which you are breathing is tightly sealed. Sealing is a good thing to maintain warmth in the home, but if you have low air quality, you can begin to see further respiratory problems or flare-ups with asthma or allergies. It is important to learn how to provide good air quality in the home so you are breathing toxic-free air and can breathe a little easier while stuck indoors during the winter season.
Why is Indoor Air Toxic?
With today’s homes begin more energy efficient, the home is more insulated than ever before. There will be less exchange with air indoors and outdoors and without proper ventilation, the indoor air pollutants can add up. Such pollutants can include cigarette smoke, carpeting, cleaning products, air fresheners, hair care products, etc. When you spray these products they build up in the air and without proper ventilation the chemicals build up and you are constantly breathing them in.
Health Risks
There is health risks involved when having indoor air pollutants in the home. Allergies are the first reaction most people have with irritation of the throat, nose and eyes or fatigue and headaches. You can also see major disease and conditions occur such as Cancer, Heart Disease and Respiratory problems. It is important to clear the air and have a fresh area in which to breathe in the home.
Minimize the Pollutants
You can minimize the pollutants in the home to improve air quality. Avoid using chemical cleaners, air fresheners and pesticides in the home. Paint thinner, toxic paint and materials should also be avoided.
Ventilation
During the winter months, you need proper ventilation to remove the pollutants in the home. Have a window or attic fan installed as well as exhaust fans added to the kitchen or bathroom area to help move the pollutants from the home and outside.
You can also open the windows to do this but you will be limited on how long and when you can do this during the winter months. Try to avoid doing projects in the home such as painting when you cannot open the windows for proper ventilation.
Radon Testing
You should also test the home for radon on a regular basis to make sure the levels are low. A qualified radon tester will be able to help you test the home and determine if you have high levels of Radon and help to remove if possible.
Control the Moisture in the Home
To control mildew, mold and dust mites in the home, you need to get a handle on moisture. The humidity level needs to be at around 30 to 60 percent. You can do this by providing a dry and well-ventilated environment in such areas as the basement or bathroom. Use a cleaning humidifier to help in this task and be sure to use fresh water each day for humidity levels.