The Best Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality

The air quality in your home has a noticeable impact on daily life. Long-term exposure to indoor air pollutants like formaldehyde or mold can lead to recurring allergic or asthmatic reactions and may cause or exacerbate respiratory and cardiovascular issues.

There are steps you can take to improve the indoor air quality (IAQ) inside your Kansas City home, dramatically reducing the risk of adverse health outcomes and improving the comfort of your space.

How to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality in Three Steps

Fortunately, there are several accessible ways to address poor air quality. By focusing on and mitigating the causes of indoor air pollution, homeowners can breathe better in no time at all!

To reduce indoor air pollutants and improve indoor air quality:

Utilize Your HVAC System

Nothing promotes healthy indoor air quality like a well-maintained HVAC system. Regular use of your heating and cooling system helps improve airflow, maintain humidity levels, and filter out airborne particles.

To keep your HVAC system performing well, remember to replace the air filter every 1 to 3 months. If you have pets or residents with health conditions, consider changing the filter more frequently. Additionally, make sure to have your system inspected annually.

Monitor Humidity Levels

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends maintaining indoor humidity levelsbetween 30% and 50% year-round. Optimal humidity levels will prevent mold and mildew growth, keep dust mite populations in check, and keep you more comfortable inside your home.

Address the Common Causes

Regular dusting, vacuuming, and cleaning will keep indoor dust and allergens like tree pollen low. If you have allergies, you may need to dust and sweep daily when pollen levels are high. Consider keeping your windows shut during allergy season, especially in the afternoon when pollen levels peak.

Also, don’t allow smoking in your home, and use your kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans to remove smoke and keep humidity levels in check.

What Are the Causes of Poor Indoor Air Quality?

Indoor air pollution results from manufactured and naturally occurring compounds. The most common causes of indoor air pollution are:

Natural air pollutants including pollen, pet dander, dust, mold, mildew, and radon. Radon is a natural gas emitted from the soil that sometimes seeps into homes through cracks. It is estimated to cause an estimated21,000 lung cancer deaths in the US annually.
Airborne chemical pollutants like formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen dioxide. These chemicals are often emitted from furniture, paint, cleaning chemicals, or combustion (gas-powered appliances, fireplaces, and more).

These compounds are very common, and at low levels, they are less likely to hurt your health. However, when concentrations of these particles increase, they pose significant risks to human health.

Common Symptoms of Bad Indoor Air Quality

Health experts warn against the short and long-term effects of poor indoor air quality. The most common signs of poor IAQ include:

Respiratory issues, including runny nose, sinus congestion, cough, difficulty breathing, and sneezing.
Eye, nose, and throat irritation, including watery or dry eyes
Difficulty concentrating
Nausea
Irritability
Nosebleeds

In most cases, these symptoms will resolve after leaving home. But daily, long-term exposure may exacerbate symptoms so that they rarely completely dissipate.

Can Indoor Plants Improve Air Quality?

Yes and no. Viral blog posts and news articles previously claimed that certain houseplants can improve indoor air quality—to a point. More recent studies have found that while plants can remove VOCs from the air, it would take an incredible number of plants to have a measurable impact in real-world conditions. A meta-analysis of these studies found it would take roughly 1,000 plants per square meter of floor space to clean indoor air – that’s approximately680 plants in a 1,500-square-foot home.

Contact Us for Indoor Air Quality Services in Kansas City

Protect your home against indoor air pollution with prompt, affordable indoor air quality solutions from C.M. Mose & Son professionals. We work hard to ensure that your indoor air quality upgrades have a real impact on your home’s IAQ and support your overall well-being.

Call 816-339-5190 or contact us online to schedule HVAC, electrical, or plumbing services in Pleasant Valley and the surrounding areas.