Maintaining a healthy home is critical for your family’s welfare – especially now as the weather in St. Louis and St. Charles cools and you begin to spend more time indoors. Applying a few simple solutions now will ensure your indoor living environment is safe and healthy for seasons to come.
Reduce toxins
Less desirable weather may make fall and winter seem like an ideal time to tackle your indoor painting projects. However, you need to be mindful of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in many interior paints and finishes. VOCs are one of the biggest threats to indoor air quality; they include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have both short- and long-term health effects. For indoor jobs, select paint with low or no VOCs to keep your air fresher. Additionally, some houseplants such as ivy and gerbera daisies can help to naturally remove VOCs from your indoor air.
Clean your indoor air
Ragweed and pollen will trigger allergy symptoms for millions of people this fall; however, the worst allergy triggers are often found inside the home. Installing a whole-home air filtration system can help to remove indoor allergens including dust, mildew, pet dander and pollen from the air you breathe. For example, the AccuClean (TM) System by American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning removes up to 99.98 percent of the allergens from your filtered air, so even if it’s allergy season outdoors, your indoor air is crisp and clean.
Prevent mold
During the cooler fall and winter months, people tend to seal up their homes and spend more time inside, which traps moisture and humidity – both significant contributors to indoor mold growth. Maintain healthy indoor humidity levels by venting bathrooms and clothes dryers and using an exhaust fan while cooking. Install an air humidifier to provide year-round control of your indoor moisture level, and keep your home at 50 percent humidity or lower to reduce the chance for mold growth.
Watch out for CO
Protect your indoor living environment from carbon monoxide or CO by installing CO detectors or alarms throughout your home. This fall, make sure your home’s heating system, including items such as a furnace or heat pump, vents and chimney, are inspected and serviced by a professional contractor. And, if there is a fireplace in your home, open the damper before lighting a fire to help prevent the buildup of potentially poisonous gases inside of your home.
Keep a seasonal routine
Most homeowners already know it’s important to test their smoke alarms on a monthly basis, but how often do you change the alarm’s batteries? One way to keep track of alarm maintenance is to make battery changing a seasonal activity. For example, beginning this fall, replace the batteries in your smoke alarms (and CO detectors), every time you reset your clocks.
By taking these simple steps now, you’ll create a safer and healthier home, allowing your family to relax and enjoy all the delights the St. Louis fall season has to offer – both outdoors and indoors.
Used with permission courtesy of Dan Main
CO DetectorWhen purchasing a CO alarm, look for an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) listing on the label. Follow manufacturer installation and maintenance guidelines. Replace batteries at least annually and replace older units, as recommended by the manufacturer (typically when 5 to 7 years old). Also, when considering CO detector placement, don’t forget the need for regular testing of smoke/fire detectors and fire extinguishers.
