Improve Your Kansas Home’s Indoor Air Quality
Potential Air Pollutants In Your Kansas Home
What a lot of Kansas residents don’t realize is that indoor air pollution is one of the largest environmental health risks that we can face. It directly affects the air we breathe, and it is important for homeowners to take note of the things that could be affecting our home’s indoor air quality. Every home is subject to a variety of indoor air pollutants that contain elevated levels of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. When VOCs enter into our homes, they react with the other compounds found in the air, resulting in the formation of particulate matter. This particulate matter could potentially pose health risks for people who experience allergies or sensitivities. Keep in mind that symptoms will be different for everyone, but they may present as follows:
- Itchy eyes & throat
- Trouble breathing
- Coughing, sore throat
- Sneezing, runny nose
- Irritated skin, rashes
Household items that you may not realize are putting VOCs into your home’s atmosphere include:
- Smoke: Smoke from your fireplace, candles, cigarettes & even cooking has the potential to give off VOCs. Ensure that you are employing the use of sufficient ventilation when smoke is present so that it doesn’t become trapped in your home.
- Cleaning Supplies & Fragrances: The chemicals found in household cleaning products, fragrances & air freshening products can give off VOCs. Using more natural, organic products in your home can minimize the amount of particulate matter in the air.
- Mold: Elevated levels of moisture & humidity within your home can lead to a huge potential for fungal growth. Condensation, humidity, leaks or floods can cause water damage to build up in porous building materials. Mold is able to form in almost any indoor environment as long as there is a present moisture source. There may be underlying signs of mold growth in your Kansas home that you need to be aware of. Mold can appear in a variety of colors, including white, black, grey, brown, green, blue and even orange to name a few. Be aware of any suspicious odors, fuzzy or chalky looking substances settled on surfaces, or dark staining on walls & ceilings. These are some telltale signs of a mold issue developing in your home. If you are worried about a possible mold issue within your Kansas home, contact a local professional mold remediation company in your area to assess the damage.
Ways To Improve Indoor Air Quality
One of the quickest, easiest ways to improve indoor air quality within your Kansas home is to employ the use of proper ventilation. It is important to keep fresh air circulating throughout the home to ensure that particulate matter is not settling & becoming stagnant. Whenever you are cooking, cleaning, showering, running the dishwasher, or possibly smoking indoors, you need to have some form of ventilation. Even if it is just an open window or a fan running, this will improve the indoor air quality. Not only do these activities give off excess heat and moisture that can not become trapped, they also have the potential to give off VOCs into your home.
If someone in your household is experiencing mild symptoms or allergic reactions to particulate matter from VOCs, you may want to consider employing the use of an air purifier. Air purifiers can help you to circulate air around your home more efficiently while also drawing out pollutants to make the air cleaner & safer to breathe. Ensure that your air purifier’s filter is being regularly changed to keep things running smoothly. Now more than ever, it is important to ensure that you and your family are breathing clean, safe air. Keeping your home clean, safe & comfortable shouldn’t be a chore. Just a few simple adjustments to your maintenance routine can make a huge impact on the indoor air quality of your home.
