You may constantly hear about new subjects that should bother you and your family. Don’t buy products containing BPA. Stay away from the microwave. Only store your food in glass containers, not plastic.
Now your neighbors are talking to you about indoor air quality (or IAQ) in Houston. Don’t use harsh chemicals to wipe down your counters. You should install an air purification system. You should use essential oils instead of air fresheners.
And on and on it goes.
So you start to turn a deaf ear to all the noise and just try and live your life. We feel you - why stress about one issue if you will have to constantly worry about everything else?
But, of everything, indoor air quality is absolutely a point you should consider, and here’s why.
It affects your health
We’ve told you how to fight sickness and stay healthy with indoor air quality; and, we’ve shared how to Stop the Sneezes and help ease asthma and allergy symptoms with recommendations to improve indoor air quality; we’ve even introduced you to the APCO Whole-House Air Purifier to help keep your indoor air quality at its best. So now, we’re just going to say it: substandard indoor air quality will negatively affect your health . We spend around 90% of our life indoors and with indoor air pollutants, including pet dander, dust, fibers, and virus-causing germs, lurking around our homes, it’s critical to have an air purification system that can filter our air and help destroy the germs that cause diseases.
It affects your home
Not only could bad air quality affect your lungs, it can also affect the function of your home. Indoor air with elevated levels of contaminants lurking around is more exhausting on your home’s heating and AC system. Impurities clog the elements of the blower system and the home’s air filters faster, causing your heating and cooling system to work harder to keep you comfortable. Your duct system can also become dusty more quickly, resulting in inefficient airflow.
It affects your workplace
Many studies have revealed that poor indoor air quality can have a substantial effect on workplace productivity. Not only can it intensify the symptoms of allergies and asthma, but the contaminants put off by copying machines, cleaning supplies, poorly maintained heating and cooling systems, and electrical equipment can cause headaches (even migraines), watery eyes, and scratcy throats. While these symptoms may be short-term, prolonged exposure to poor indoor air quality (after all, you do spend at least 40 hours a week at the office) can result in skin inflammation, respiratory issues, and other chronic conditions. On the more extreme side, radon or asbestos coming in through cracked foundations or ceilings can lead to cancer and other terminal diseases and an excessive concentration of carbon monoxide can cause sudden death.
So next time your friend starts telling you about indoor air quality, listen up because it could be important for your health and for your home. If you aren’t sure if your home’s indoor air quality is great or poor, call Church Services for a complimentary in-home analysis and we’ll confirm your indoor air quality levels and review whole-home air cleaning choices with you.