Working from home has gained popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic started, and the trend doesn’t’ seem to be stopping as people and companies realize that working from home is more family friendly, flexible, and even profitable. While working from home has its perks, spending more time at home also means that your space should be as clean and comfortable as possible.
One home health concern that is often overlooked is indoor air quality. But it’s important that the space in which you work, sleep, and eat has healthy air for you and your family to breathe. In this article, we share tips for improving indoor air quality and creating a healthier home office environment.
How Does Indoor Air Quality Affect Health?
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the influence of indoor air quality is nationally noteworthy because Americans on average spend 90% of their time indoors. The concentration of some airborne pollutants is 2 to 5 times higher than outside. Therefore, it is especially important for people who spend most of their time indoors, such as in a home office, to take care of indoor air quality.
Health effects that are linked to poor air quality include:
· Headaches
· Irritation of eyes, throat, and nose
· Fatigue and dizziness
· Respiratory diseases
· Heart Disease
· Asthma
By improving indoor air quality, you can lower the chance of being exposed to these health risks. Moreover, if you already suffer from respiratory issues, improving indoor air quality can make significantly alleviate your symptoms.
Tips to Improve Indoor Air Quality
There are three main strategies for improving indoor air quality according to the EPA:
· Source Control
· Improved Ventilation
· Air Cleaners
Source control means eliminating the sources of the indoor air pollutants. While this strategy is certainly very efficient, it can be hard to execute, especially if the pollution is coming from the outdoors. If there is mold growth or a dead animal in your air ducts that is polluting your air, getting the duct system thoroughly cleaned could be a form of source control.
Improved ventilation helps to circulate the air in the home, bringing in fresh air from the outdoors and pushing the stagnant, indoor air out. To improve ventilation, open windows and doors, turn on the exhaust fan in your bathrooms, use a fan and/or portable air filter, and ensure that your air duct system is cleaned regularly.
Here’s Six Easy Tips for improving indoor air quality
1. Vacuum and mop your floors regularly and clean surfaces. Hire a professional carpet cleaner to deep clean your carpets every 1-2 years.
2. Get your air duct system professionally cleaned every 3-5 years
3. Open the windows of your home early morning
4. Change air filters once every 6 to 12 months
5. Get house plants for your home office for natural air filtration
6. Do not smoke indoors
Air duct cleaning for improving indoor air quality
Since fresh air enters your home through the HVAC system, it is especially crucial that you keep them clean. Otherwise, fresh air coming from outside will get contaminated and dirty in the ducts and circulate the pollution throughout your home.
Air ducts gather lot of germs and dust on a daily basis, and over the years, the dirt, dust, and mold can build up on the duct walls and end up in the air you breathe. When you work from home, this issue gets more problematic because you are spending more time indoors, usually right by a vent. Fortunately, professional air duct cleaning is only needed once every couple of years or after renovations. It is a quick, safe procedure when done by professionals, but the effects are long-lasting.
Benefits of getting air ducts cleaned
Air duct cleaning can improve the cleanliness and comfort of your home office significantly. There are several key advantages to getting your HVAC system professionally cleaned:
Cleaner and hygienic home
Air ducts are home to lot of allergens, dust, dirt, and even mold. Air duct cleaning removes these pollutants, letting the air that passes through maintain cleanliness when it blows into your home. A clean duct system will reduce dust accumulation on the surfaces and floors of your home. You’ll quickly notice how less frequently your home requires dusting.
Improved air flow in your home office
Clean ducts improve the air flow in your home, which makes working from home healthier and safer. Furthermore, air duct cleaning improves the efficiency of energy consumption. This will reduce your electricity bills which also tend to increase when working from home.
Reduced allergens
Poor indoor air quality can cause allergies due to the circulation of high volume of allergens in the air. Especially in areas and seasons with high pollen counts, air duct cleaning can drastically reduce the symptoms of allergies when inside.
Air Duct Sanitization for improving indoor air quality
Air duct sanitization is an advanced method for improving indoor air quality. With this service, the air ducts are thoroughly disinfected with a sanitizing solution to kill germs and bacteria and prevent future build-up. You can learn more about air duct sanitization here.
