Your home should be an escape from the pollutants and irritants of the outside world, but sometimes the air in your home is a leading source of them. How can you tell if your home has poor indoor air quality, though? Look out for these warning signs and symptoms, and take mitigating action if your problems persist.
Poor Ventilation
How much fresh air do you get circulating throughout your home—especially in rooms with appliances that burn fuel? If your stove or water heater is gas-powered, it needs to vent safely to the outdoors. Otherwise, soot, water vapor, and carbon monoxide can start to build up in your home and your air quality is negatively affected.
Persistent Cold-Like Symptoms
Does it feel like everyone in your household has been feeling under the weather for weeks? If you are coughing, sneezing, and rubbing your itchy eyes for weeks or months on end, it may not be a cold. You may be experiencing a reaction to poor air quality due to indoor irritants like animal dander, pollen, and dust mites.
Mold Growth
Do you see mold developing in parts of your home with plenty of moisture and inconsistent ventilation, like the laundry room or bathrooms? Mold is a problem on its own—but it’s also a symptom of low-quality air in your home that’s likely laden with spores.
Pro Tip:
Once you’ve called a mold remediation service to kill all that fungal growth, invest in a digital air quality monitor. For example, the accuracy of the QP PM2.5 air quality monitor ensures you effectively monitor indoor humidity levels. Mold loves humid air—the readings on your air quality monitor can help you decide whether to bring in a dehumidifier.
Difficulty Sleeping
If the air in your home is polluted, breathing it in can disrupt your sleep. Allergy-like symptoms and respiratory difficulties from breathing low-quality air may cause you to wake up several times during the night. High humidity and inconsistent temperatures can also affect the quality of your sleep and may indicate problems with your HVAC system.
Foul Odors
Has your home developed a distinct and unpleasant smell? The pollutants in your home’s indoor air, like pet dander and smoke, could be the culprit. Remediating your indoor air quality with an air purifier or filtration system can remove those pollutants and banish the stink.
Vollara
The Vollara® Air & Surface Pro
Many people have air purifiers in their homes that they purchased at a local box store because they are relatively inexpensive and convenient to access. The question to ask is do they work in removing pollutants from the air in your home? The Air Surface Pro from Vollara combines multiple complementary technologies, including HEPA, activated carbon, and ActivePure® Technology. This technology is an advanced surface and air purification technology. It has been proven to reduce over 99.9% of many common airborne and surface contaminants. 1
Good To Know:
In the meantime, be careful about spraying air fresheners around your home to cover up the odor. Products with synthetic fragrances can release VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into the air, further damaging their quality.
If you suspect your home has poor air quality, keep your senses attuned to these warning signs, the Air Surface Pro can remove air pollutants and allow you to sleep and breathe better. Alternatively, you can partner with an HVAC or air-quality expert to remediate any problems and continue to monitor your air quality to keep your home fresh and ventilated.
Dianne Pajo is a Certified Personal Trainer based out of the Chicagoland area with a passion for music, combat sports, and animals. She enjoys competing in amateur boxing and kickboxing, but in her other leisure time, you can find her outdoors and performing music around the city. She is also a dog mom of 2.