The Best Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality

The air quality in your home plays a crucial role in your everyday life, often in ways you might not even realize. Prolonged exposure to indoor pollutants like formaldehyde and mold can trigger persistent allergies, asthma flare-ups, and even worsen respiratory and cardiovascular conditions.

There’s good news: you can take control! By making a few adjustments, you can address poor indoor air quality (IAQ). Not only will this help protect your health, but it will also create a more comfortable and enjoyable living space for you and your loved ones. Let’s explore how you can breathe easier and live better in your Austin home!

What Are the Causes of Poor Indoor Air Quality?

Indoor air pollution results from manufactured and naturally occurring compounds. The most common causes of indoor air pollution are:

• Natural air pollutants including pollen, pet dander, dust, mold, mildew, and radon. Radon is a natural gas emitted from the soil that sometimes seeps into homes through cracks. It is estimated to cause an estimated21,000 lung cancer deaths in the US annually.
• Airborne chemical pollutants like formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen dioxide. These chemicals are often emitted from furniture, paint, cleaning chemicals, or combustion (gas-powered appliances, fireplaces, and more).

These compounds are very common, and at low levels, they are less likely to hurt your health. However, when concentrations of these particles increase, they pose significant risks to human health.

Common Symptoms of Bad Indoor Air Quality

Health experts warn against the short and long-term effects of poor indoor air quality. The most common signs of poor IAQ include:

• Respiratory issues, including runny nose, sinus congestion, cough, difficulty breathing, and sneezing.
• Eye, nose, and throat irritation, including watery or dry eyes
• Difficulty concentrating
• Nausea
• Irritability
• Nosebleeds

In most cases, these symptoms will resolve after leaving home. But daily, long-term exposure may exacerbate symptoms so that they rarely completely dissipate.

Read more: How Smart Home Services Make Life Easier

Three Effective Ways to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality on a Budget

Improving indoor air quality is straightforward but helps avoid issues with an established routine. By focusing on and mitigating the causes of indoor air pollution, homeowners can breathe better in no time at all!

You can reduce indoor air pollutants and improve indoor air quality with these simple, everyday actions:

1. Address the Root Causes

Regular dusting, vacuuming, and cleaning will keep indoor dust and allergens like tree pollen low. If you have allergies, you may need to dust and sweep daily when pollen levels are high. Consider keeping your windows shut during allergy season, especially in the afternoon when pollen levels peak.

Also, don’t allow smoking in your home, and use your kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans to remove smoke and keep humidity levels in check.

2. Maintain Healthy Humidity Levels

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends maintaining indoor humidity levelsbetween 30% and 50% year-round. Optimal humidity levels will prevent mold and mildew growth, keep dust mite populations in check, and keep you more comfortable inside your home.

3. Use Your HVAC System

Nothing supports healthy indoor air quality like a well-maintained HVAC system. Using your heating or cooling system helps to promote airflow, maintain humidity, and remove airborne particulates via filtration.

Ensure your HVAC system is up to the task by replacing your air filter every 1-3 months (households with pets or members with underlying health conditions may benefit from more frequent filter replacement) and have your system inspected annually.

Can Indoor Plants Improve Air Quality?

Yes and no. Viral blog posts and news articles previously claimed that certain types of houseplants can improve indoor air quality—to a point. More recent studies have found that while plants can remove VOCs from the air, it would take an incredible number of plants to have a measurable impact in real-world conditions. A meta-analysis of these studies found it would take roughly 1,000 plants per square meter of floor space to clean indoor air – that’s approximately680 plants in a 1,500-square-foot home.

We’re Austin’s Trusted IAQ Experts

Ready to invest in your health? Indoor air quality improvements don’t just help you breathe better. Regular HVAC maintenance and filter replacement can prolong your system’s life and help you save on energy bills! Precision Heating & Air experts are always ready to help and cover all your HVAC needs.

Call 512-379-6385 orcontact us online to schedule HVAC, electrical, or plumbing services in Austin, Sun City, and the surrounding areas.