Lately, our everyday lives have changed significantly, and for the safety of both ourselves and others, we have found ourselves spending the majority of our time in our home. Your home’s indoor air quality goes a long way towards keeping you healthy, and there are many simple ways to improve it with the help of Wright’s Hearth, Heat, & Home of Arden, NC! Read below to learn more about the importance of indoor air quality, then call (828) 687-9002 to schedule an appointment with Wright’s today!
Indoor Air Quality 101
According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), people spend around 90% of their time indoors and the concentration of airborne pollutants can be two to five times higher indoors than outdoors. These numbers have likely increased recently, with a majority of people spending more time in their homes.
Indoor air quality is affected by many different factors. Home pollution has many different causes that include but are not limited to building materials, home appliance emissions, biological agents, and tobacco smoke. Biological agents include mold, mildew, bacteria, pollen, dust, and more. Certain activities such as cooking and arts and crafts can also decrease your indoor air quality by emitting chemicals that linger in the air long after the activity is completed. With so many different causes and factors, it can be hard to pinpoint the exact cause of your indoor air pollution without an in-home test or professional examination.
If you are living in a home with poor indoor air quality, you may notice some persisting health problems. Common symptoms include coughing, sneezing, eye irritation, skin irritation, and more. Respiratory irritations in the nose, sinuses, chest, and throat are also fairly common among those exposed to indoor air pollution. You may also feel constantly fatigued, dizzy, or nauseous. Symptoms of indoor air pollution can easily be mistaken for common illnesses such as a cold or flu. Long term exposure to indoor air pollution can lead to the development of illnesses such as respiratory diseases and cancers. Those with pre-existing conditions such as asthma, allergies, or chronic bronchitis are more at risk to indoor air pollution and may experience stronger and more persistent symptoms. If you think you are suffering from health problems related to indoor air pollution, have your home professionally tested and seek medical attention immediately.
How to Improve Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality
Fortunately, there are many simple ways to improve your home’s indoor air quality. Cleaning your home with non-toxic products makes a noticeable difference. Many cleaning products emit harmful and irritating chemicals that can linger in the air on surfaces, but non-toxic products can eliminate bacteria without the use of these chemicals.
Properly ventilating your home can also improve air quality. Ventilation replaces air in an indoor area with fresh air from either outdoors or a different indoor area. This removes any harmful airborne bacteria, which will noticeably improve your indoor air quality. It also helps create a more pleasant environment in your home. There are many ways to ventilate your home, such as opening a window or door and turning on a ceiling fan. You can also purchase air filters, purifiers, and dehumidifiers to help remove harmful airborne materials. Your HVAC system is also very important for improving indoor air quality and ventilating your home. Regular HVAC maintenance is key to keeping your home’s indoor air quality healthy. Materials such as mold, dust, dirt, and other various pathogens or allergens can build up in the air ducts over time. Without regular cleaning and maintenance, these materials are spread throughout the entire house and decrease air quality. Fortunately, this is easily preventable with an annual or semi-annual duct cleaning.
Wright’s Hearth, Heat & Home offers several services that can help improve your indoor air quality. Regular maintenance on gas and wood appliances such as fireplaces, stoves, space heaters, and furnaces performed by a professional technician from Wright’s can drastically decrease their emissions and improve your home’s indoor air quality. You should also have your chimney cleaned annually, as harmful materials such as mold, soot, and creosote can build up in your flue. Airborne particles of these materials can easily disperse throughout your home, but our technicians can remove any trace of mold, soot, or creosote from your chimney! We also offer dryer vent cleanings that not only improve your air quality but reduce your risk of fire and increase the operating efficiency of your dryer.
Schedule an Appointment Today!
Wright’s Hearth, Heat, & Home has a team of professionally trained technicians that can help improve your indoor air quality! We want all homeowners in the Arden, NC area to be safe, healthy, and comfortable as they remain sheltered in their homes during these difficult times. Text or call (828) 687-9002 or schedule an appointment online today!
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