How To Improve Your Indoor Air Quality
As a stay-at-home mom with some very young children, I spend most of my time at home, indoors. I do what I can to keep my children healthy, including frequent hand washing, keeping a clean home, and limiting contact with other sick people. That being said, my husband and I were often baffled by how frequently our family members would become sick. It seemed like someone always had a cold, the sniffles, or was suffering from allergies. After a great deal of head scratching and a little bit of research I concluded that there must be a problem with the quality of our indoor air.
In recent years there has been growing scientific evidence that the air inside of our homes and other buildings can be more polluted and pose a much greater health risk than the outdoor air in even the largest, most industrialized, polluted cities in the world. What a scary thought, especially considering that most people send about 90 percent of their time indoors. The facts seem to indicate that we are more likely to become ill from indoor air than outdoor air. So what can we do to improve the quality of our indoor air?
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First let's take a look at what is contaminating the air that we breathe. The greatest factor in indoor air pollution is from biological or manmade sources that release gases or particles into the air. Examples of indoor air pollutants include pets; rodents; combustion sources such as oil, kerosene, gas, or coal; furnishings and building materials; and central heating and cooling systems. Also, not having proper ventilation can increase the levels of pollutants in our home by not circulating enough outdoor air to carry pollutants out of the home or to dilute emissions from indoor sources. Additional factors include dust mites, mold and mildews, decaying plants, and other such items that release spores into the air.
Without question, there are innumerable pollutants in every household that contribute to poor indoor air quality. You could do everything in your power including getting rid of pets, tearing out carpet, cleaning visible dust, covering mattresses, opening windows to allow outdoor air to circulate through the home, and never burning an oil, wood, coal, or gas fireplace, yet you would still not have the air quality in your home that you need for proper health.
The best thing that you can do to for the health of your family is to purchase a high quality air purifier in order to improve your indoor air quality. There are different types of air purifiers on the market ranging from whole-house systems that work with your central heating and air system to relatively small table-top models.
Whole-house systems usually work with a filter that attaches to your furnace to remove pollutants from your indoor air while the unit is in operation. It is often more costly to run your HVAC system 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year round than it is to operate a table-top air cleaner, and the table-top versions are usually less expensive than a whole-house system.
When purchasing a table-top purifier, be certain to check the square footage capability of the machine. You may think you are saving money by purchasing a smaller model when in reality you would need to purchase several units to purify the same amount of air as a higher-quality model.
Regardless of what type of purifier your purchase, the effectiveness of that purifier depends on two main factors: how well it pulls pollutants from the air, and how much air it is able to circulate through the filters. The best machines are effective in both areas.
In conclusion, in spite of the fact that we cannot escape every cause of air pollution, we do not have to live with the ill effects of poor air. Modern technology is able to step in and help us do something about it! So, if you want to improve your family's health and reduce costly medical bills by breathing cleaner, fresher air, the best investment you can make is to purchase an efficient air purifier to improve your indoor air quality.
