In the winter, being snug as a bug in a rug in the home can be cozy, but it can also play havoc with indoor air quality (IAQ) here in California, creating some significant health problems.
Tassio Temperature recommends taking precautions to avoid the common issues associated with winter indoor air quality.
Why Does Winter Cause Problems?
During the warmer months, open windows and let the fresh air into the Los Angeles home. During the colder months, do the opposite, locking everything up tight, caulking, and blocking anywhere cold air can seep in.
While this keeps everything toasty, unfortunately, it traps indoor air containing all the impurities from home. With homes being built more and more energy-efficient, there are fewer ways for outdoor air to infiltrate homes and help ventilate them.
What Are Some Common Issues?
Poor indoor air quality was directly related to the 500 to 1,000 VOCs coming from everyday materials
All this confined air leads to a host of issues. An early pioneer of indoor air quality, Dr. Marilyn Black found after years of research 'poor indoor air quality was directly related to the 500 to 1,000 volatile organic compounds [VOCs] coming from everyday materials, such as paint, floorings, furnishings, and printers.'
In addition, it’s been shown pet dander, cleaning products, environmental tobacco smoke, mold, dust, mildew, personal-care products, asbestos, lead, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and a host of other factors also contribute to indoor air pollution.
Symptoms
As a result of poor indoor air quality, the user or someone in the home may experience some of these common symptoms regularly:
- Fatigue
- Flu-like symptoms
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Itchy eyes, nose, and/or throat
- Worsened asthma, allergies, or chronic illnesses
Tips to Improve Indoor Air Quality in the Winter
Just because it’s winter, do not assume have to suffer through poor indoor air quality. There are things to do to help improve it. Here are some recommendations:
- Get ductwork inspected and cleaned: Having the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system’s air ducts inspected can alert to leaks, where unconditioned air could be leaking and contributing to problems. Then having ducts cleaned will remove any dust-and-debris buildup, preventing it from entering into the airflow.
- Have the furnace cleaned and checked: Ensuring the furnace and its filter is clean helps alleviate more dust and debris from making it into the lungs. The furnace is an integral component in a home’s HVAC system, so having it regularly checked and tuned up keeps things working efficiently for a long time.
- Consider installing an air purifier: The HVAC system’s air filter can only stop so many types and sizes of particles. Many particles are not visible to the human eye yet can still harm. An air purifier can eradicate them from the home’s airflow.
- Check the home’s humidity levels: Optimally home’s humidity level should remain between 30 to 50 percent all year long. During the colder months, the home’s air becomes drier. Be sure the humidifier is keeping the home humid enough while not over-humidifying. Too much moisture, amongst other things, breeds mold and mildew that are both toxic to the body.
- Open windows every day (or at least a few times a week) for short bouts of time: During the winter months, the home’s ventilation does not bring in as much outdoor fresh air as at other times of the year. The home is shut up tight to keep the cold out. An easy measure to take is simply to open windows daily for a short time, even for a few minutes. This will bring some much-needed fresh air into the home and help diffuse the stuffy air.
- Use more natural cleaning and personal-care products: Chemicals from cleaning and personal-care products will linger longer in the home’s winter air without the flow of fresh air. Concentrated like this, they can do real damage over the long term to the body. Look into substituting healthier alternatives.
- Decorate with houseplants: Houseplants clean and purify the home’s air. Adding more to the home can only help remedy the toxins and stuffiness present during the colder months.
- Clean the home regularly, paying special attention to carpets, floors, and dusty areas: Cleaning the home once a week goes a long way in keeping dirt and dust from entering the airflow. Carpets are particularly bad for harboring unwanted. Vacuuming regularly, especially with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter vacuum, can dramatically cut down Conair’s pollution.
