You may constantly be told about new subjects that should bother you and your family. Don’t buy merchandise that isn’t BPA-free. Steer clear of the microwave. Only store your food in glass containers, not plastic.
Now your neighbors are prattling on about indoor air quality (or IAQ) in Long Island. You shouldn’t use harsh chemicals to wipe down your counters. You have to buy an air purification system. You need to use essential oils as an alternative to air fresheners.
And on and on it goes.
So you drown out all the noise and just try to focus on what matters. We feel you - why agonize about one issue if you still have to constantly worry about everything else?
But, of all things, indoor air quality is certainly a point you should pay attention to, and here’s why.
It affects your health
We’ve explained how to fight sickness and stay healthy with indoor air quality; and, we’ve revealed how to Stop the Sneezes and help relieve asthma and allergy symptoms with recommendations to improve indoor air quality; we’ve even given you a full review of the APCO Whole-House Air Purifier to help keep your indoor air quality supreme. So now, we’ll be frank: bad indoor air quality is bad for your health . We spend an estimated 90% of our life indoors and with indoor air impurities, including pet dander, dust, fibers, and virus-causing germs, hanging around our homes, it’s imperative to have an air purification system that can purify our air and help remove the germs that cause diseases.
It affects your home
Not only could bad air quality affect your lungs, it can also affect the performance of your home. Indoor air with high levels of impurities lurking around is more exhausting on your home’s heating and AC system. Pollutants clog the parts of the blower system and the home’s air filters more quickly, causing your heating and cooling system to work overtime to keep your home comfortable. Your duct system can also become dirty more quickly, resulting in inefficient airflow.
It affects your workplace
Multiple studies have shown that poor indoor air quality can have a very real effect on workplace efficiency. Not only can it increase the symptoms of allergies and asthma, but the pollution put off by copying machines, cleaning supplies, poorly maintained heating and cooling systems, and electrical equipment can cause headaches (even migraines), tearing eyes, and scratcy throats. While these symptoms may be temporary, extended exposure to poor indoor air quality (and you’re probably spending at least 40 hours a week in the office) can result in skin irritations, respiratory problems, and other chronic sicknesses. On the more extreme side, radon or asbestos sneaking in through fractured foundations or ceilings can actually cause cancer and other deadly diseases and a high concentration of carbon monoxide can lead to sudden death.
So the next time you hear the phrase indoor air quality, listen intently because it could be important for your health and for your home. If you are unsure if your home’s indoor air quality is great or poor, call Matz-Rightway for a free in-home analysis and we’ll verify your indoor air quality levels and share whole-home air cleaning plans with you.