Germs, mold, pollen, carbon monoxide and chemical fumes all make it hard to keep your Lorain home clean and healthy. To ensure a healthy home environment despite these threats, you can use a few important tips mentioned below.
Control the Contaminant Sources
Always repair leaky faucets and pipes, which can add humidity to the air, encouraging mold growth. Mold can produce tiny reproductive spores that are harmful to your respiratory health.
Cockroaches, mice and other household pests can leave behind debris that spread disease and contaminate your air. Using a pesticide isn’t the best solution because it too can pose a health threat. To discourage pests, as well as bacteria, keep food in tightly-sealed containers and clean up thoroughly after meals.
When possible, choose furniture, carpeting, paint and other products labeled VOC-free. These product won’t produce cancer-causing chemical fumes.
Improve Your Airflow
No matter how careful you are, some air contaminants will still find their way into your home. To make sure they don’t stay for long, you need sufficient ventilation.
Use your bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans to remove excess humidity and odors after showering and cooking. This helps retain air fresh, while reducing the risk of mold. If you’ve noticed any condensation on your windows, trickle vents may help remedy this problem.
Also, make sure to consult with a professional about installing a whole-house ventilation system in your home to further improve your indoor air quality.
Head Off Future Problems
If your home contains any fuel-burning appliances, like a fireplace or stove, install a CO detector on every floor and within 15 feet of every sleeping area. For even greater safety, use carbon monoxide detector patches available from home improvement stores to test your air for CO.
You can check your home for radon using a kit, such as the one available from the Ohio Department of Health. Radon, a cancer-causing gas, can enter your home from the ground below your foundation.
If you’d like a professional to help make improvements to your home’s indoor air quality, contact Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning in the Lorain, Elyria and Oberlin area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about a healthy home environment and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area