What Can Harm My Indoor Air Quality?

How Would You Rate Your Home’s IAQ?

Believe it or not, your home’s indoor air quality may be less than stellar. And there is a multitude of reasons why that may be the case. In fact, it’s quite unlikely that you can see the quality of the air that resides within your home — only the side effects (i.e., indoor allergies).

However, if you’re looking to improve your humble abode’s “IAQ,” here are some things that may be bogging it down in the first place:

Things That Can Hurt Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality

Room Sprays

You know them well: Those aerosol cans that promise to make your home smell like fresh apple pie or a freshly-sliced strawberry, all at the push of a button. While it may seem fine to spray those artificial fragrances here and there, it would be best not to use them — but why is that?

Believe it or not, for these aerosol sprays to provide a familiar sweet scent, the “concoction” is composed of chemicals that not only hinder your indoor air quality but may also take a toll on your respiratory health. However, if you’re looking to spruce up your humble abode’s scent, ditch the cans and consider using essential oils, they come in an array of scents and aren’t harmful to you or your indoor air quality.

Scented Candles

While on the topic of scented room sprays, let’s dive into another hot topic (literally): scented candles. Whether you receive them as gifts or you purchase them at the store, these chemically-crafted waxes are not safe to light. Like a scented aerosol can, the minute the candle is in use, its chemical composition will go airborne — tarnishing your indoor air quality over time.

If you’re looking for a safer alternative, consider purchasing soy or beeswax candles. Unlike the chemically scented candles, these are virtually all natural and bear natural scents, typically from essential oils. Plus, with a soy or beeswax candle, the candle will burn slower — meaning it will last much longer than a traditional wick.

Chemical Cleaning Agents

When you clean your humble abode each week, what do you use to get the job done? Often, most homeowners will use a chemical cleaning agent that can be purchased at the store. While it may seem harmless to wipe surfaces with these products (after all, it’s sanitizing and making your home sparkle) they typically host a formula of chemicals that can tarnish your indoor air quality, and your well-being — especially if commonly used in poorly ventilated areas.

Since it’s essential to clean your living space often, and make sure it’s sanitized, consider using green cleaning agents or those with little-to-no chemicals in their formula. These can help keep your home as clean as can be, but they’ll also be more gentle on appliances, surfaces, and plumbing fixtures, helping preserve their appearance and function.

Keeping Your Shoes On

This may come as a surprise to some, but walking around your home with your shoes does more harm than good. Think about it: When you take a stroll outside, your footwear soles may pick up a series of unpleasant allergens and debris. And the minute you step inside your home, anything that’s stuck to the bottom of your shoe can cling to your flooring and stick around.

Ultimately, to avoid this, consider leaving your shoes at the door before walking any further in your house. And if you can’t fathom not having footwear on, think about leaving a pair of house shoes/slippers by the door for an easy switch!

Indoor Air Quality Services in Rhinelander, WI

If you’re looking to take the extra step to improve your home’s indoor air quality, we have various professional solutions that can help! Contact Frasier’s Plumbing and Heating, Inc. at (715) 804-0947 to schedule your appointment with our team of pros!