3 Key Factors Affecting Your Indoor Air Quality

Your indoor air quality can significantly impact your physical and mental well-being. Indeed, research reveals that it could be the difference between feeling drained even though you’ve done nothing stressful or feeling rejuvenated while at home. According to the EPA, pollution is 2 – 5 times higher inside homes than outside, making it cause for concern. If you want to pay more attention to your indoor air quality, below are three key factors affecting it.  

1. Excessive humidity

Although some humidity is good, it can also be problematic if excessive. Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. An ideal humidity range of 30% to 50% is healthy for indoor air quality, but too much may negatively affect your health, as it creates excellent breeding conditions for mold and mildew growth. They are also responsible for several respiratory issues apart from the allergies they trigger due to the spores released from mold and mildew. On the other hand, if the humidity is too little, it may cause dryness in your skin and throat. Even worse, it may leave you dehydrated and uncomfortable. Fortunately, you can regulate your home’s indoor air quality with humidifiers and dehumidifiers. The secret to an ideal balance is knowing how to use both. 

2. Pets, pests, and other allergens are Factors Affecting Your Indoor Air Quality

It is alright to love your household pets, but they come at a price. Your furry friends shed a lot, which can become part of your household allergens. Pet dander can also clog your home’s vent, making it impossible to clean out as part of your daily chores. At some point, you will require professional cleaning services for your vents and air ducts, as seen on helpful sites like https://www.jcs-homeservices.com/air-duct-cleaning-ashburn-va/. Failing to eliminate these allergens in your home does more than negatively impact indoor air quality. It compromises your health and other house occupants. You can manage this by taking care of your pets’ shedding. Start by ensuring they are well-groomed and always clean. For pests, you should relook or rethink certain habits around your home, like food storage. Waste products from pests are air contaminants too.

3. Household chemicals

The household chemicals you use for cleaning and refreshing your home could also affect indoor air quality. These include air fresheners, cleaning agents, and your furniture’s polish, which can release harmful chemicals into indoor air. These volatile compounds can cause long-term health problems. It would be best to take note of certain body reactions you experience when exposed to some of these chemicals. For instance, do you experience headaches after using air fresheners? Secondly, do you develop a stuffy nose after using certain cleaning detergents? These are common signs that your indoor air is compromised by things you least suspected. That is why eco-friendly products are gaining traction in many households, as more people realize the connection between the environment and their health. You can do the same by using green products with low VOC emissions.

Recap: Factors Affecting Your Indoor Air Quality

The more conscious you become of certain habits and home practices, the better your home’s air quality will be. What are some of the ways you improve your indoor air quality? Leave a comment and share it with us!