While some facts about your indoor air quality, or IAQ, are fun, others are not so much. But knowing how your indoor air quality works goes a long way in making it, and therefore your entire home, cleaner and healthier.

One Not-Fun Fact About IAQ

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, your home’s indoor air is between two and five times dirtier than the outdoor air, even if you live in a city. This is because the inside of your home is where smoke, volatile organic compounds, pet hair and pet dander, mold, and other contaminants accumulate and are not easily flushed out. On top of this, if you’re like most people, you tend to spend nearly all of your time indoors.

There Are Several Ways to Monitor IAQ

There’s a wide variety of instruments that can monitor your indoor air quality. “Smart” monitors measure the levels of pollutants and can even tell you the temperature and humidity levels in your home. You can even attach them to apps that can track these levels over time.

Gas detectors let you know the VOCs and carbon dioxide levels in your air, while particulate matter monitors tell you the levels of pollen, smoke particles, and dust. Other technologies use laser light to detect particulate matter or electrical currents to detect carbon monoxide.

Things That Contribute to Good Indoor Air Quality

Many things support good IAQ. Fortunately, you can control them with help from your HVAC professional. HEPA filters can scrub the tiniest particles out of the air. Also, turning on the range hood as you cook pulls pollutants such as grease and smoke out of the air. Here are some other ways to keep your indoor air clean and healthy.

• Providing good ventilation. This allows stale, polluted air to leave your home and fresh air to come in. You can ensure good ventilation simply by opening doors or windows or using fans.
• Removing or controlling sources of pollution. This can be as simple as smoking outdoors instead of indoors, keeping bug sprays to a minimum, regularly cleaning your appliances, and using low-VOC paints and upholstery.
• Monitoring invisible contaminants. Monitoring pollutants that you can’t readily sense, such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and radon, is important. Removing them not only raises IAQ but protects your health. Carbon monoxide and radon are not only odorless, tasteless, and colorless, they’re deadly. Even too much carbon dioxide in the air can make you sick.
• Controlling the humidity levels. High humidity levels promote the growth of mold and mildew. A dehumidifier may be a good investment.

If you live in Tampa Bay, FL or a surrounding area and need indoor air quality services, make your first call to Cornerstone Pros.