Why Your Indoor Air Quality is Important During a Crisis

With more stay-at-home orders going into effect each day, it is important to talk about why your Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) plays an important role in your overall health and your ability to fight off viruses like COVID-19. A few years ago, we posted an article about Sick Building Syndrome where we talked about how poor workplace air quality (also known as “Sick Building Syndrome”) can make workers feel ill. The same can be said of your home’s air quality.

Have you experienced any of the following symptoms while you’ve been home?

• Coughing
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Headaches

Some of these symptoms have been associated with Coronavirus, but you also could be experiencing some of these symptoms due to poor indoor air quality. If there was something you could do to feel better inside your own home, would you do it? We hope your answer is a resounding “YES!”

Here are a few easy ways you can improve your home’s indoor air quality during the COVID-19 crisis:

1. Change your furnace filter. The air filters in your home are the first line of defense against airborne contaminants. MERV 8, MERV 11 and MERV 13 ratings for air filters are what we recommend for residential application. Our FiltersFast.com Brand MERV 13 filters catch airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns, and our brand of air filters are proudly made in the USA. Is it time to order replacement filters for your home? Find the size you need today by clicking here. Can’t find the size you need? We can make custom sizes, too! To learn more, click here.
2. Ventilation. One of the biggest contributors to poor indoor air quality is smoke. Smoke from cigarettes, cooking, and even candles. When you’re cooking, run the hood fan – doing this will prevent the air in your home from feeling stale or smoky. Take an inventory of the candles in your home and make sure that they do not contain harmful chemicals or additives that can affect your health. (If you are looking for clean candles to burn in your home, seek out candles made of 100% beeswax, vegetable-based wax or soy). If you are a smoker, please be courteous.
3. Air purifying plants. Green thumb or none, certain indoor plants are a great way to purify the air in your home. For more information and a list of air purifying plants, visit this blog post.
4. Keep things clean. If you have carpet or rugs in your home, try to keep them clean. The fibers in carpets are a great place for contaminants to stick around for a while . Give surfaces a deep clean with the LivePure UV HEPA Dust Vacuum! It uses UV technology to neutralize dust mites and other allergens and a true HEPA filter to capture 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns. While we’re on the topic of cleaning, make sure the cleaners that you are using in your home are VOC-free. Several household cleaners contain harmful chemicals that can affect your well-being and contribute to poor indoor air quality.
5. Keep your vents clean. Have you noticed dust bunnies crawling out of your vents? It only takes a few seconds to wipe them clean. Vents are where air enters your home, so keeping them clean should be a priority. Would you want clean, fresh air to stir up dust each time it comes through those vents?
6. Bonus: Invest in air purifying devices. Air purifiers are a great added layer of defense against airborne contaminants. UV Air Filtration is another great option to help keep the air coming into your home clean. To learn more about the technology and products that we offer click here.

For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, please visit the CDC’s website.

It’s our mission to help equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to live a healthier life. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or would like filtration recommendations for your home.