Spending a lot of time home has become a regular part of everyday life for many during the COVID-19 pandemic. In such circumstances, ensuring that home air quality is tested to ensure it is healthy is of utmost importance. You might not be aware, but indoor air quality has profound effects on your health. Something you might recognize as cold or a seasonal allergy can be an effect of air pollution. Air quality testing is the best way to ensure that the indoor air quality at your Burlington home is within favourable levels. A professional indoor air quality test can help you pinpoint the potential sources of pollution and keep your home healthy.
The Risks of Poor Air Quality on Your Health
Individuals with allergies, asthma and sensitive lungs are usually the first to feel the adverse effects of polluted air. Irritation of the nose, eyes and skin, shortness of breath, dry throat, and sneezing are usually the first symptoms to manifest when short-term exposure is concerned. Long-term exposure, however, has more severe effects. Chronic inflammation of the lung tissues caused by inhaled pollutants can result in scarring, reduced lung capacity, development of different types of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
How Can You Improve Home Air Quality
There are few simple ways to improve the quality of the indoor air at your home:
- Regularly clean your home – Removing accumulated dust, dander, and particulate matter by cleaning and vacuuming every week is one of the easiest ways to reduce air pollution in your home.
- Maintaining HVAC – Checking air ducts and changing air filters promptly is a crucial part of every good air quality practice; left to themselves, the ducts and filters collect a lot of dust and pollutants, and they can release them back into the indoor air again
- Reduce humidity – Getting cooking vents and ensuring good air circulation in rooms prone to air humidity (bathrooms, kitchens, cellars, attics) can significantly reduce the occurrence of molds and humidity pollution.
Learn The Signs of Poor Air Quality
Air pollutants are usually too small to be seen with a naked eye, so often, homeowners don’t even notice that their home is having air quality problems. There are, however certain tell-tale signs that can reveal if your home is at threat:
- Dark spots on walls and/or ceiling – this is most commonly a sign of a mold infestation.
- Unpleasant odours – they can indicate the presence of a very serious problem (problems with sewage, presence of molds, bacteria and harmful chemicals, pest infestation, etc.)
- Quick dust buildup on surfaces – if you find significant traces of dust despite cleaning your home just recently, it might indicate that your vents and air filters are oversaturated with pollutants.
If you have any doubts about poor air quality, getting a home air quality test can clear your doubts and reveal if there is a reason to worry. Hiring an experienced professional in Burlington and scheduling air quality testing is the best way to determine which pollutants are present and their concentration. Call Inch by Inch today to schedule your home air quality testing.