4 Surprising Sources of Indoor Air Pollution

We are all familiar with the dangers of breathing in polluted air, but what most people don't know is that the air inside your house is most likely more polluted than the air in even the dirtiest of cities. In fact, unless you are making a conscious effort to purify your homes air, it could be up to 10 times more polluted than the air outside!

Indoor air pollution comes from many sources; some of them, like paint and secondhand smoke, are easy to guess, but some of them are not so obvious. Check out these four surprising sources of indoor air pollution.

Air Fresheners

If your home's air is dirty, the best way to clean it is with an air freshener, right? Wrong. Despite their name, most air fresheners actually fill the air with high levels of toxins and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – even ones marked as “all natural”. If you are looking for a better way to eliminate toilet odors, try lighting a match.

Carpets

New carpeting can emit harmful gasses and VOCs, and old carpeting can harbor dust mites, pet dander, and mold. This can be made even worse if you wear shoes in your home, which can drag in dirt, fungus, and even pesticides. Keep your carpet clean by regularly vacuuming and cleaning it, and implement a strict no-shoe policy for your guests.

Heating Equipment

From your stove top to your furnace, one of the main byproducts of heating equipment is carbon monoxide. If yours isn't properly vented to the outside, the odorless, colorless, toxic gas may be collecting in your home. At low doses, carbon monoxide can cause fatigue, but at high levels it causes nausea, headaches, loss of consciousness, and possibly death.

Candles

Paraffin wax – the main ingredient in most candles – is known to release carcinogens into the air as it burns, such as benzene, styrene, and acetone. To make matters worse, the wicks on many imported candles are made with lead, a well-known toxin.

Want to know another unsuspecting place in your home that is potentially full of bacteria and allergens? Your air ducts. If you haven't had yours cleaned within the past three years, chances are yours are full of dust, pollen, animal dander, and maybe even mold. If you live in Long Island, call GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration for a professional-quality duct cleaning at an affordable price. Contact us now for a free quote at (631) 940-8100.