With the increasing awareness of how low air quality affects human health, it’s no surprise that people are looking for ways to improve their home air. What you might be surprised by, though, is that some very commonplace items in your home could be contributing to low air quality. Here are four things you (probably) have in your home right now that could be reducing the quality of your home air.
Fiberglass Insulation
Almost all modern homes use fiberglass insulation to prevent drafts and cut down on energy consumption. The problem with this insulation, though, is that it can be a source of indoor VOCs. Chemicals used in the production of fiberglass insulation remain after the insulation is installed. In some cases, these chemicals can become airborne, reducing the air quality in your home. This is especially true of newer insulation, since these chemicals will dissipate over time.
Houseplants
Under most circumstances, having plants in your house is actually a good thing. In fact, there are several air purifying plants that can actually improve your home air quality. With that said, there is one significant risk associated with keeping plants in your home: mold. The combination of organic matter and moisture makes the soil your houseplants grow in a good environment for mold. If spores get into the soil, you may begin to see mold growing in your pots.
Now, this doesn’t mean you should throw out your houseplants. Instead, just be sure to keep an eye on the soil they’re planted in. If you begin to see mold growing, you can clean it off of the plants themselves and transplant them into new potting soil to prevent the mold from spreading further. If you do see mold on your plants, you may want to consider using an air purifier for mold spores to keep new mold from establishing itself once you’ve cleaned up the existing mold.
Gas Stove
If your home has a gas stove, you could be significantly reducing your air quality each and every time you cook a meal. The combustion of natural gas produces fine particulate matter and carbon dioxide, both of which have adverse effects on human health. While the same is true of gas furnaces to some extent, stoves are especially concerning from a health perspective because of how close a person must stand to the open gas flame in order to cook.
Synthetic Flooring
Not unlike insulation, VOCs from vinyl flooring could be bringing your home’s air quality down. Unfortunately, this is a problem common to many types of synthetic building materials. The best way to deal with this problem is to use a home air purifier for VOCs. These air purifiers are equipped with carbon or charcoal filters that make it possible for them to capture VOCs and other harmful gases.
These are just a few of the common items and materials that could be bringing down the air quality in your home. If you have questions about using air purifiers to clean up your indoor air, we’re here to help! Feel free to send us your questions, and we’ll be happy to provide you with answers and personalized product recommendations based on your unique needs.