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9 Reasons To Care About Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality

Date: February 3, 2020

indoor air quality greater boston
Energy efficiency in our homes is important. It helps us save money on our monthly energy costs, and is better for the environment because of our reduced usage.
But there is a flip side. Making our homes so airtight can create poor air quality in them.

Poor indoor air quality comes from a host of sources and can cause several problems. Here’s why you should care about it, and how Cubby Oil offers indoor air quality solutions that will help you breathe easier in the Spring months up ahead.

Indoor air quality impacts everyone

From young children, to the elderly and people with respiratory problems, all are vulnerable to poor indoor air quality. But even healthy adults are affected. Poor indoor air quality can exacerbate asthma, and make you sick more often with conditions ranging from the common cold to pneumonia.

Home cleaning products impact indoor air quality

While keeping your home clean can be good for indoor air quality, what you use for cleaning may not be. These cleaning products can cause indoor air quality problems:

  • Aerosol spray products like furniture cleaning spray and bathroom cleaners
  • Chlorine bleach
  • Furniture and floor polish
  • Oven cleaners
  • Rug and upholstery cleaners
  • Detergents and dishwashing liquid

Read labels on cleaning supplies and avoid those that contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), fragrances, flammable ingredients or other irritants. Don’t fall for products that say they’re “green.” Check the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safer Choice guide. You can also make your own effective, safer cleaning products.

Fragrances can affect indoor air quality

You may love how some cleaning and personal care products smell. But scented products like air fresheners, soaps, lotions, shampoos, disinfectants, detergents and all-purpose cleaners can release hundreds of VOCs into your home. Look for unscented products to reduce the effect of fragrances. If you want nice smells in your home, use essential oils with a diffuser instead or air-freshening sprays.

Humidity can impact indoor air quality

Unhealthy humidity can create several problems. Too-humid air encourages the growth and spread of mold. Too-dry air can irritate skin and nasal passages, and damage furniture, wood flooring and trim, and artwork. Ask Cubby Oil’s indoor air quality experts about adding a humidifier or dehumidifier to your home’s current HVAC system.

Indoor air quality is affected by airflow

A lack of circulation in your home can encourage mold and mildew growth, and let pollutants accumulate. Letting air circulate both through your HVAC filtration system and out open windows (weather permitting) alleviate those issues.

Home improvement projects affect indoor air quality

Construction products and paint can be rife with VOCs. If you plan on doing any renovations or painting in your home, ask your contractor or home improvement store for low-VOC products.

Improve your air quality with HVAC maintenance

Regular maintenance of your home’s heating and cooling equipment help them run at peak efficiency and prevent contaminants from building up. Check your HVAC air filters monthly and change as needed. If you have pets or someone in your home with respiratory issues, you’ll have to change the filter more frequently.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) solutions from Cubby Oil can help

Breathe easier with the array of IAQ products Cubby Oil sells, installs and services. We offer:

  • Whole-house humidification systems that keep your home’s air at proper humidity levels
  • Ventilation systems that bring in fresh, clean air from outside and send indoor air out without loss of heating or cooling
  • Whole-house air cleaners that remove 98 times more particles in the air than a standard one-inch filter, which not only cleans the air but helps your HVAC system perform at better efficiency
  • Ultraviolet light air purifiers that help kill mold, bacteria and other organisms to help reduce risks from effects of allergies, asthma, airborne colds and flu, and other problems

Our experts can help you figure out what your home needs, then properly install and maintain them!

Other solutions to improve indoor air quality

There are other easy, affordable ways you can improve the quality of the air inside your home.

  • Make your home non-smoking
  • Exercise your green thumb with indoor plants that help clean the air
  • Use hard-surface flooring in your home instead of carpeting
  • Vacuum and clean your floors frequently
  • If you have pets, clean them and your home frequently to reduce dander and other irritants
  • Clean your home regularly, paying attention to dust-catchers like curtains, ceiling fan blades, blinds and molding
  • Encase your mattresses and pillows to protect against dust mites

Cubby Oil’s HVAC equipment experts can help you explore solutions so you can improve the indoor air quality in your greater Boston area home. Get in touch with us today and we’ll get right on it.

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