Factors Positively & Negatively Impacting Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality

Aloe Vera Plant 1

Indoor Air Quality Products & Their Actual Impact On Your Home’s Air

Are you worried about the quality of your Houma or Thibodaux area home’s air? To be frank, you probably have good reason to be. According to the EPA, the air in your home could be as much as five times more polluted than the air outside.

Bearing that in mind, you’re probably looking for ways to improve your home’s indoor air quality. There are a lot of products out there on the market that claim to improve your air quality, but how many can actually live up to their hype?

 

IAQ Products: The Good, The Bad & The Totally Pointless

The Good

Air Filters—One of the fastest ways to get allergens and pollutants out of your home’s air is to change your air filters. Air filters trap dust, pollen, pet dander and hair and any number of other pollutants that negatively impact your indoor air quality, so make sure you get fresh filters every 30-90 days.

HEPA Purifiers—HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Absorbing and it’s about the best standalone air purification method on the market. HEPA purifiers are required by the CDC to remove at least 99.97% of harmful airborne particles from your air and, unlike non-HEPA options, they generate zero harmful ozone.

HEPA Vacuums—A vacuum with a HEPA filter will be more expensive than one without, but it’s worth the money. Not only will it remove the dust, dirt, pet hair, etc. in your carpets and rugs, it will also trap the microscopic particles that ruin your indoor air quality like dander, fungi, bacterial growth and more.

Plants—Surprisingly enough, adding plants to your interior decor in order to assist with your home’s indoor air quality IS a worthwhile effort. Not ALL plants make a difference but there are specific plants such as Aloe Vera and the Peace Lily that do in fact decrease the existence of contaminants benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene, in your home.

 

The Bad

Air Fresheners—Air fresheners are designed to cover bad odors rather than to actually improve your indoor air quality. And like most cleaning products, they actually contain a lot of VOCs and can make your air worse. Rather than spraying air fresheners, just air your house out by opening the windows for a few minutes.

Scented Candles—The warm glow of a candle creates nice ambiance, but the scents involved are just as likely to release VOCs into your air as air freshener sprays are. If you want to use candles in your home, look for (preferably unscented) soy or beeswax candles that won’t emit any VOCs.

Cleaning Products—We’re not suggesting you not clean your home, but be wary of what cleaning products you use. Most commercially available cleaning products actually contain Volatile Organic Compounds, or VOCs, that do more harm than good where indoor air quality is concerned.

 

The Totally Pointless

Essential Oils—Essential oils are extremely popular right now and claim to be able to solve all of life’s problems but the truth is, aside from smelling good, they have no real impact on indoor air quality. They can’t reduce your allergy symptoms or kill airborne fungi and bacteria, and some essential oils can even be toxic to your pets. So if you’re trying to improve your air quality, skip the oils.

Himalayan Salt Lamps—Another popular item used for natural detoxification, Himalayan salt lamps supposedly clean your air and improve your health. However, there’s no scientific evidence to support these claims. Salt lamps are a nice decor item, but they’re not likely to improve your indoor air quality in any measurable way.

 

Looking For HVAC Solutions To Improve Your Air Quality? Call Doug’s!

If you’re worried about your air quality and looking for reliable, proven solutions, Doug’s can help. We provide a variety of HVAC solutions that can significantly improve your indoor air quality without you needing to worry about your household cleaning products and decor items. Call us at (985) 746-1116 to get started!

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