Most of us strive to include healthy habits into our lives. That could mean exercising, cutting out processed foods, or not using products with certain chemicals.
However, many people fail to recognize an invisible danger in their own home: poor air quality that can put the health of you and your family at risk.
These airborne chemicals are not visible to the naked eye, but are possible to detect with a state-of-the-art test performed by us at EIG.
Why Should I Get the Test?
Whether you’re buying a new home or concerned about the air quality in your current home, there are many reasons to have the test done:
- The US-EPA has reported that home air can have 100 times more chemicals than outside.
- The US-EPA has also reported that adults and kids now spend most of their time indoors.
- The CDC has reported that 20+ million adults have asthma, and the National Asthma Survey has reported that asthma is the most prevalent chronic disease among children.
- Mold growth can be present within the home and be hidden behind walls or underneath carpeting or flooring.
- The use of Formaldehydes is prevalent in certain building materials.
Indoor air pollution will vary among regions, homes, and even between rooms in a single house.
What Causes Poor Air Quality?
Indoor air quality can be compromised by many things, but some of the most common influencers are: building materials, consumer products, and pets.
You spend most of your time at home, so ensuring it’s a safe environment should be seen as a necessity or even an investment into the well-being of you and your family.
What Are the Consequences of Poor Air?
A single or repeated exposure to any pollutant can result in immediate effects like a sore throat, irritated eyes, headaches, or dizziness. A more alarming result are the long-term effects like respiratory diseases, cancer, or heart disease. The EPA provides a more in-depth look into indoor air quality.
What Can I Do?
After scheduling your inspection there are still a few things you can do around your home to improve air quality.
Consider adding a few plants to your space (home or office), the Clean Air study by NASA provided a list of the best plants to remove certain chemicals from the air:
- Spider Plant
- Peace Lily
- Chinese Evergreen
- Snake Plant
are just a few examples, check out this graphic for the full list!
Aside from adding plants, you can also do a few things around your home like:
- Regularly changing filters (especially heater, AC, and vacuum).
- Ditch synthetic air fresheners.
- Maintain humidity around 30%-50% to keep dust mites, mold, and allergens under control.
- Find a good vacuum with a HEPA filter, which will catch smaller particles that normal vacuums miss.
- Switch to eco-friendly, non-toxic cleaning products.
- Use dust-mite proof pillows, mattress, and box spring covers.
All of these tips are great ideas to incorporate into your daily life, but it’s important to get the inspection beforehand to know exactly to what you’re being exposed.
Let us give you peace of mind that the air in your home is safe to breathe.
Call us today about performing an accurate, affordable IAQ Home Survey test as part of a complete home inspection service.