The air you breathe in your home has a great impact on your overall health and your life. Just because you are indoors, does not necessarily mean that the air quality inside the building is good enough. In some cases, the air quality indoors might even be worse than that of the outdoors. Making sure the quality of the air you regularly breathe is healthy enough for you and your loved ones is something that should be monitored very often.
Here is how you can effectively determine if the air quality inside your home is of poor quality.
1. Check Your Allergies
The quality of the air you breathe can rapidly affect your allergies if you have any and can have a big impact on your respiratory health. By keeping tabs on whether or not your allergies are stable or flaring up, you can determine whether or not the air quality you have indoors is good enough. Your allergies could be affected by the pollen in the air or even dust, which can also cause sinus infections if left untreated. If you find that your symptoms come and go, this is a clear sign the air quality in the house is in bad shape.
2. Invest in an Air Monitor
Thanks to modern technology, there are now smart devices that can help check the air quality for you. By investing in an air monitor, you will be able to accurately determine how bad the air quality you have indoors is and whether or not it might be time for you to be buying filters for the vents. If the air quality is poor, then it might be an issue of old air filters that need changing, which would be pretty simple to do.
3. Look for Mold
Mold is fresh air’s worst enemy. If you can spot mold indoors, then that is a very clear sign that the air quality you have is extremely poor. The growth of mold indoors can only mean that the air circulation in that place is limited and can lead to inhaling a lot of dangerous toxins. You would often find mold growth in places that are exposed to water, such as sinks and bathtubs.
4. Monitor Temperatures
Among the signs of poor air quality that many people fail to notice is uneven temperatures. By monitoring the temperature of your indoor space, you could quickly identify the areas with poor air quality seeing as places that take a long time to heat or cool signal bad air quality. If you use heaters in the winter or air conditioners in the summer and you notice that some indoor areas take longer to be affected by your HVAC system, do not be quick to judge the appliances as the problem might actually be with the air quality in your home.
5. Follow Odors
Most often, funny odors could be a sign of poor air quality indoors. If you walk into your home and realize that it smells different or unpleasant, then this could mean that the air quality you have indoors is poor, which is likely a result of numerous factors. Unpleasant odors could be a result of poor air circulation or the aftermath of any chemicals sprayed indoors without proper ventilation afterward. The earlier you recognize the cause of the problem, the better chance you have at quickly fixing it and restoring healthy air quality.
6. Measure Humidity
Feeling sticky and icky indoors, especially on warm days, can actually be a sign of bad air quality. Many people do not give indoor humidity that much thought if they think it is only because of warm weather. However, in many cases, humidity can be a result of poor air quality and inefficient air circulation, which can also be incredibly dangerous to your health. By measuring humidity indoors, you would be able to know how poor the air quality is and maybe even invest in a dehumidifier to eliminate the moisture in the air.
7. Check For Dust Buildup
Dust is one of the worst contaminants of air indoors. It is hard to notice at first, but once you find it, you should take immediate action to eliminate it so as not to risk your health. By checking for dust buildup indoors around corners or countertops, you would be able to determine how bad the air quality is and how to deal with it accordingly.
Breathing in poor-quality air can be extremely dangerous to your overall health. That is why it is essential to always keep an eye on the air quality you have indoors so that your well being does not get negatively affected. Remember to seek professional help if you find that the air contamination in your home is too much to handle on your own, and make sure that you do your fair share of research in advance.