Your home is your haven, a place where you should always feel the highest level of comfort and safety. Maintaining optimal air quality in your home is important to your overall well-being. Every room in your home presents its own set of challenges when it comes to air quality.
Your kitchen contains some natural pollutants due to the use of appliances. Gas stoves, for instance, can emit nitrogen dioxide, a toxic gas caused by combustion. Poorly vented or unvented gas stoves create a risk of releasing high levels of nitrogen dioxide. Exposure can lead to irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, as well as respiratory issues such as bronchitis. Bathrooms are by nature full of dampness, which can cause mold. Properly vented bathrooms reduce this risk. Plumbing should be maintained to avoid leaks.Probably low on your list of rooms with hazards to your optimal air quality are your living room and bedrooms. However they pose some hidden dangers that you need to protect against. The good news is that most of the irritants in these rooms can be controlled with a little housekeeping. Cleaning air vents throughout your house reduces pollutants in the air. Every home has allergy-inducing dust mites that breed in carpets, upholstery, furniture and even stuffed toys. But there are ways to reduce their numbers:
Bed linens should be washed regularly.Dust with a damp clothVacuum carpets weeklyDuring the summer, control humidity indoors with a dehumidifier. Use a portable model for rooms or areas with higher humidity than the rest of the house.Your basement is one of the most susceptible rooms when it comes to optimal air quality issues. Due to the damp nature of the basement, it is prone to mold, which can cause respiratory issues. Probably the most dangerous air quality issue is the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Heating and cooling units that are defective can produce this deadly gas. Keep to annual maintenance schedules for your heating and cooling appliance. Always have a HVAC certified specialist perform any repairs or installations.
