Winter is coming and indoor air quality is as important as it could ever be right now. Poor indoor air quality becomes an issue during the winter months because we spend more time indoors with doors and windows sealed shut. Along with the warmth generated by your heating system, this creates a breeding ground for indoor pollutants, bacteria, mold, and more, which can cause health issues. However, these potential problems can be avoided if you can improve your indoor air quality by following some simple tips:
- Closing and sealing doors and windows is a common practice to keep the warmth in but often homeowners overdo it and keep doors and windows shut as much as possible. This can be counterproductive as this increases moisture levels and pollutant concentration because of the poor ventilation. Maintain balanced ventilation between open and closing doors and windows during temperature dips and rises.
- Reduce the use of chemicals in your household, especially VOCs (volatile organic compounds) such as some aerosol sprays, cleansers, disinfectants, pesticides, personal care products, and more that could potentially impact your health.
- Replace your air filters on a regular monthly schedule and make sure that there is no gap between the filter and the frame/rack as pollutants can slip through this gap unfiltered. As well as investing in higher quality mechanical air filters such as pleated or high-efficiency air filtration units to capture more pollutants.
