Weekend Project: Improve The Air You Breathe

So many projects on that weekend to-do list, so little time.  How does one prioritize?  Hmmm…we want it to make an impact, not cost too much money, and hopefully leave us time for other fun stuff, right?

Nothing fits this description better than proactively improving your indoor air (you do know you spend 65% of your time at home, and that it’s as much as 5 times more polluted than outdoor air, don’t you?)  The impact is huge (avoid illnesses and long term health problems for you and your family), and the cost and time is minimal.

Quick & Easy Ways To Improve Your Indoor Air This Weekend

1. If you have an attached garage, move gasoline containers and lawn equipment out of it.  These are sources of pollutants that are entering your home (you just don’t realize it).
2. Change your furnace filter (25% of folks have NEVER done this).
3. Clean your humidifier and/or dehumidifier (this can become part of the problem rather than a solution if not cleaned regularly).
4. Clean your exhaust vans and kitchen exhausts (while commonly used daily, these guys almost NEVER get cleaned).
5. Really put some thought into writing down a cleaning action plan, suitable to your home’s occupants.  Regular, thorough cleaning is an essential (but often forgotten) strategy for maintaining healthy indoor air.  Set frequencies for key tasks (such as vacuuming 3 times per week), then delegate those tasks out to family members or elicit the help of a professional cleaning company.
6. Seal the holes/cracks in your ducts.  Think of ducts as the conduit for air to travel around your home.  Poor performing ducts will leak undesirable air (such as that in your attic space) to the primary living areas of your home (such as your child’s bedroom).
7. Throw out those air fresheners and scented candles (have you actually read the ingredients list on those?).
8. Seal that minor, annoying leak you’ve been avoiding because “it’s no big deal”.  Even the smallest water leakage will, under the right conditions, produce mold.
9. Talk about the merits of getting a professional indoor air quality test done.

Ok, yes, #9 is self promotional.

But in all seriousness, it makes no sense to embark on further initiatives to improve your indoor air quality without knowing what your home’s specific issues are, and where they are located.  That’s like going into surgery before the diagnosis!

In good health,

The PEC Team