Indoor Air Quality and Your Health

Many people spend the majority of their summer breathing in pollutants from air conditioning at work and at home. Repeated exposure to such pollutants like animal allergens and mold spores can put us at risk for significant health issues.

How to Create a Healthier Indoor Environment

• The best way to improve your indoor air quality is to remove sources of chemical emissions in your home. This includes many cleaning products, scented candles, and air fresheners, as well as certain types of cabinets, flooring, furniture, paint, etc.
• Here on Long Island, the summers can become extremely humid. Invest in a dehumidifier to lower the humidity levels in your home so you can breathe easier.
• On more mild days, open your windows to start a cross breeze. Circulating the air in your home like this is a great way to let the fresh air in and get the pollutants out.
• Your air ducts accumulate a large amount of dust throughout the year. Enlist the help of a professional to have them cleaned once a year to avoid circulating harmful materials through your home.
• Did you know that healthy houseplants not only balance the humidity in your home but they also naturally clean the air? Check out the infographic below to help you decide which plant is right for you.

Are you looking for a professional air duct cleaning company on Long Island? Look no further than GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration. We exclusively use environmentally- and bio-friendly supplies and cleaning methods. Contact us today for a free quote at 631-940-8100.

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.