What Do Studies Show?
We spend approximately 90 percent of our time in homes or offices breathing indoor air that is (according to EWG) 2 to 5 times more polluted than the air outside. The impact this has on our health—both in short-term and long-term exposure—can range from eye, nose, and throat irritation, to more chronic issues like asthma, headaches, respiratory diseases, and even cancer (think of asbestos). Babies, young children, older adults, and people with asthma are the most susceptible to these health risks.
According to EPA, the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants. According to World Health Organization (WHO), the household air pollution it comes from a variety of sources that release gases or particles into the air, toxic chemicals (especially cleaning ones), mold, building materials, dirt or dust particles, mites, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and natural gases such as radon (here you will find a reference guide of the main pollutants). Inadequate ventilation in the home can also increase pollution levels.
What About The Air In Your Home?
If you think you may have a problem with air pollution in your home or have symptoms that may be related to the environment, visit your doctor and he will check if it can be caused by air pollution. Review the activities you do daily in your home, and be aware of signs of possible ventilation problems, such as moisture condensation on windows or walls, mold and fungus growth, smelly air, or dirty heating and cooling ducts and equipment. A local mold removal company will inspect with scanners for mold in walls, and a duct and vent cleaning company will help assess and tackle any buildup from last year’s (or last owner’s) dust.
The most effective way to improve indoor air quality is to control, reduce or eliminate emissions from individual sources of pollution. Proper cleaning is one of the ways to control indoor air pollution in our homes, which is why we only use green cleaning products that do not release gases or chemical compounds with artificial fragrances. Likewise, the use of vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters that help reduce the spread of mites and prevent dust recirculation.
Air purifiers are in such high demand nowadays (and we recommend reading this article from Marilee Nelson, a Texas-based Environmental Consultant, Building Materials Specialist, and co-founder of Branch Basics, on the subject), but it’s very important to identify which ones are removing particles without adding other ground-level pollutants like ozone.
The air filters that complement and can help improve indoor air quality, are used to remove a multitude of particles. Although these cannot remove all air pollutants or remove gaseous pollutants they filter the bulk of physical ones. There are different types and sizes of air filters, and its effectiveness depends on how well it collects air pollutants and how much air it extracts, as well as following the manufacturer’s instructions.
We recommended installing air filters in your HVAC system with MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) classification appropriate for the environment of our home. MERV is the rating scale for the quality of air filters, and the most common are Merv 8, Merv 11, and Merv 13. A higher MERV rating on a filter means fewer dust particles, and other contaminants can pass through it. Now, in order to maintain air quality, it is essential to take into account the regular change of these filters, since once they have reached their life cycle, they will lose their pollutant collection capabilities.
An Easy, Actionable Tip With Our Experience!
There are air filter companies, which allow you to choose the right size for your HVAC system, and also with a subscription, delivery you periodically the filters to your home, with free shipping, so you don’t forget to change them, one of them is Second Nature. The American Lung Association recommends using filters rated MERV 10 or higher, it can catch some common particles include pollen, dust, mold, dust mites, bacteria, pet dander, smog, cooking oil, virus carriers and, tobacco smoke.
This is a great example of a Second Nature filter that at Gmaids we have personally used for 3 months (right) and the new one (left).
New filter vs Used filter.
If you’re like us and want to automate your “air cleaning” and filtering, they are offering our clients their first order completely free using this link http://fbuy.me/nAFhs. What do we get? $10 in account credits but truly what we’re excited the most, is that the quality of air in your home can significantly improve and in return, it will create a less dusty environment in between cleaning appointments.