The Importance of Indoor Air Quality

January 27, 2022 | Blog

Did you know that your indoor air quality, or IAQ, can majorly affect the health and comfort of your family? Allergens and pollutants can live in your home unnoticed until someone in your home starts experiencing symptoms.

We at Baldwin Heating & Cooling know how crucial good indoor air quality is for your quality of life, so we’ve created this list of common indoor air pollutants and what you can do to remedy them. Read below to learn more!

What Creates Poor Indoor Air Quality?

There are a variety of factors that affect the quality of your indoor air. When mixed together, any or all of these can make your home an uncomfortable place to be. Here are just some of the everyday factors that can degrade the quality of your air.

VOCs

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are released into the air from the use of products like aerosol sprays, household cleaners and room deodorizers. They can also be introduced to the air when new hardware is installed in your home. The problem with VOCs is that they can linger in your indoor air and cause serious health issues.

Pet Dander

If you have a pet you know that pet hair can end up everywhere, but did you know that pet dander can too? Pet dander is dried skin cells that use pet hair as a vehicle to spread around your home. These skin cells are microscopic, which means that even after you have cleaned pet hair, pet dander can stick around. Dander can also cause bothersome issues for people with allergies and asthma.

Poor Ventilation

During the winters and summers, improper ventilation can create excessive moisture in your Daphne home. Ventilation is extremely important because it introduces outdoor air into your home to dilute the concentration of contaminants. Regular household activities like doing laundry and cooking food can (you guessed it) create health problems in an unventilated home such as fatigue, headaches and respiratory problems.

Mold/Mildew Development

Mold and mildew formation is another unfortunate product of a poorly ventilated home. Moisture is all that is required for mold and mildew spores to form. These spores are typically harmless when they are present in very small amounts, but in excess, they can mean serious issues for people with allergies, asthma and weakened immune systems.

How Can I Improve My Air Quality?

There are a few preventative measures you can take in your Daphne home to reduce the number of indoor air pollutants including:

Checking your air filters often
Ventilating your home
Controlling the humidity levels
Trying to eliminate individual sources of pollution
Buying air purifying indoor plants

If you still suspect poor air quality, it may be time for indoor air quality, or IAQ, testing.

How Can IAQ Testing Help?

If you suspect allergens and pollutants in your home but can’t nail down the culprit, IAQ testing can help. At Baldwin, we offer indoor air quality testing to help you get to the root of your indoor air quality issues. IAQ testing measures the amounts of contaminants in your home so you can know what you’re dealing with.

Contact Baldwin, Your Daphne Air Quality Experts!

At Baldwin, we have proudly served the Daphne area for years and we are passionate about ensuring that our residents are comfortable. Our licensed professional technicians are prepared to go the extra mile to make sure your home is safe from toxins and allergens.