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Improving your home’s indoor air quality is not always as easy as just opening windows, but there are simple steps you can take to help ensure you and your family are breathing healthy air. Contaminants can come from several sources and need to be removed from a home, or effectively reduced using mechanical ventilation options. To avoid common air quality problems within a home follow these simple steps:
1. Operate the exhaust fan when bathing and showering to limit moisture build up. Be sure to keep the shower curtain or bathtub sliding door open after bathing to increase air circulation.
2. Turn on range hood fans when cooking to expel contaminants released from food while cooking. Range hoods can also eliminate chemicals such as carbon monoxide which can be released during cooking.
3. Increase ventilation rates during family gatherings and parties.
4. Ensure that continuous ventilation is provided in addition to the intermittent ventilation systems.
5. Plan routine maintenance for HVAC equipment to ensure all systems are working properly and performing as intended.
6. Change filters as instructed. Check, clean, or replace furnace and air filters regularly as recommended. Consider installing a "high efficiency particulate" or HEPA filter for better performance.
7. Clean the home regularly to prevent dust, dirt, and pet-hair accumulation. Dust and dirt particles can become airborne, creating contaminants in the air. Regular cleaning can help to eliminate this potential hazard.
8. Use safe cleaning products to avoid emitting dangerous chemicals into the air. Many products used to clean can release toxic or irritating chemicals when used. Select cleaning products that are certified for low levels of chemical emissions.
9. Purchase low emitting finishes and materials. New or recently installed building materials and furnishings can emit dangerous toxins. Look for products that are certified for low chemical emissions.
10. Ensure that clothes dryers are exhausted directly to the outside and make sure that filters and hoods are cleaned regularly to maintain airflow.
11. Select only those ventilation products which are HVI Certified to ensure your airflow, sound level and energy performance expectations are met.
The Healthy House Institute (HHI), a for-profit educational LLC, provides the information on HealthyHouseInstitute.com as a free service to the public. The intent is to disseminate accurate, verified and science-based information on creating healthy home environments.
While an effort is made to ensure the quality of the content and credibility of sources listed on this site, HHI provides no warranty - expressed or implied - and assumes no legal liability for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, product or process disclosed on or in conjunction with the site. The views and opinions of the authors or originators expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of HHI: its principals, executives, Board members, advisors or affiliates.
