Healthy Air & Your Home (Homeowner Education)
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Proper storage of cleaners in your home is critical to your health, as many of these cleaners contain harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds). VOCs are harmful to your health and typically have an odor, and they also come off materials in your home (including furniture, paints, and flooring). If possible, store cleaners away from the home or in the garage. Storing cleaners away from pets and children will also prevent spills that can lead to harmful ingestion.
Smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors are also vital components of home health and safety. Try to get detectors with long-lasting batteries and change out the batteries as needed. However, UL-rated CO detectors only start to go off at high levels of carbon monoxide, and carbon monoxide is difficult for us to detect because it’s colorless and odorless. So, if you want to maximize your safety and prevent yourself from getting sick, low-level CO detectors can be great investments when you place them near gas appliances in your home (such as gas ranges, water heaters, fireplaces, and furnaces). Symptoms of CO poisoning include drowsiness, headaches, and respiratory problems.
Carbon monoxide is different from carbon dioxide, which we exhale. Plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. However, even though it’s nowhere near as dangerous as CO, carbon dioxide can ALSO lead to health issues in very high concentrations.
Air particles can also significantly impact health and safety. Vacuum cleaners can clean your home, but they can also put unhealthy air particles into your air if neglected. Bagged vacuum cleaners and vacuum cleaners with clean filters are generally better for your health, as dust will be less likely to be released back into the atmosphere. PM 2.5 air particles are the most dangerous, as they’re small enough to be inhaled and can cause respiratory damage, so we need to focus on filtering those out of the air. However, perfectly clean air isn’t possible, so we want to dilute the contaminants as much as possible to keep their concentration low.
One of the best tips for home health and safety (and HVAC performance) is to change your air filters regularly and buy good-quality filters. Pleated MERV 8 filters are recommended for their value and availability, though filters with higher MERV ratings and even greater surface area (like 4″ filters) are even better.
Ventilation is also important, especially during cooking and when bathing. We want to exhaust moisture and contaminants from cooking (especially from cooking meat). Contaminants are less of a problem in bathrooms, but bath ventilation can remove some moisture and odors from the space.
Regular A/C maintenance is also highly recommended to make sure your equipment stays clean. Equipment cleanliness affects indoor air quality AND performance.
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