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Indoor Air Quality
According to the EPA, the air inside the average home is up to
five times more polluted than the air outside. Pollen, dust mites, dirt, and mold spores in your home’s air can cause
minor health problems like eye and nose irritation, dizziness, and headaches. Indoor air pollution can also cause more serious
problems like respiratory illness, as well as aggravate allergies and asthma. There are three ways you can improve the air
quality in your home:
Source Control
You can eliminate many pollutants like dust and pet dander
by careful household cleaning. Making sure your heating and air conditioning systems are well maintained also helps remove
pollutants before they reach your home, and cleaning air duct systems may be helpful in keeping your systems maintained.
Improved Ventilation You can decrease the concentration of indoor pollutants by increasing the quantity of air circulating. Open windows
and doors, and use window or attic fans. Bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans move indoor pollutants out of the room, and increase
the outdoor ventilation rate at the same time.
Air
Cleaners Well-maintained and efficient air cleaners
can significantly lower the amount of pollutants in the air. Their usefulness varies considerably, depending on the type of
cleaner (table-top models will probably be less effective than a whole-house system), and on the strength of the indoor pollution
source.
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