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1/ Q: What can I do to “improve ventilation” in my house or my office? What does that even mean?
A: We recently talked to environmental strategist and air quality expert Dr. Tim McAuley, founder and CEO of CHANGE Environmental, LLC.
A: We recently talked to environmental strategist and air quality expert Dr. Tim McAuley, founder and CEO of CHANGE Environmental, LLC.
2/ Dr. McAuley told us that the best thing we can do to protect ourselves is to create cleaner indoor air *in general*. Ventilation--exchanging indoor air for outdoor air--is just one part of cleaner indoor air.
3/ Having clean air will help protect your lungs/immune system from being susceptible to infection. Viral particles & other small particles interact w/each other. For ex, viral particles can hitch a ride on other small particles - so the cleaner your air, the better off you’ll be
4/ Here are some tips we got from Dr. McAuley:
The best way to clean your indoor air is to use a vacuum cleaner w/a HEPA filter on it! They suck in air & particles from all around the vacuum head, filter them, & exhaust clean air. Do not use a Swiffer or a broom.
The best way to clean your indoor air is to use a vacuum cleaner w/a HEPA filter on it! They suck in air & particles from all around the vacuum head, filter them, & exhaust clean air. Do not use a Swiffer or a broom.
5/
HEPA filters: yes, it *does* help to have one on your HVAC system, if possible. Look for one that has a MERV rating of 13 or higher. If you’re getting a portable HEPA filter, get one that is sized correctly for your room & filters to 0.3 microns.
HEPA filters: yes, it *does* help to have one on your HVAC system, if possible. Look for one that has a MERV rating of 13 or higher. If you’re getting a portable HEPA filter, get one that is sized correctly for your room & filters to 0.3 microns.
6/ Change your filters on time. And if you can, hire a professional to assess the specific needs of your home--air filtration systems are not plug-and-play.
Skip the ionizers, ozone filters, and UV purifiers. These don’t really help.
Skip the ionizers, ozone filters, and UV purifiers. These don’t really help.
7/
Take off your shoes at the door. Dirt and other debris get tracked inside on your shoes and then gets spread all around your home and resuspended again and again through foot traffic. This can lead to higher particle loads in the air that you breathe.
Take off your shoes at the door. Dirt and other debris get tracked inside on your shoes and then gets spread all around your home and resuspended again and again through foot traffic. This can lead to higher particle loads in the air that you breathe.
8/
Clean your house from the top to the bottom (high surfaces to low surfaces) so that dust and other small particles fall to lower surfaces and then ultimately get sucked up by that amazing HEPA filter vacuum you just bought.
Clean your house from the top to the bottom (high surfaces to low surfaces) so that dust and other small particles fall to lower surfaces and then ultimately get sucked up by that amazing HEPA filter vacuum you just bought.
9/
Check your dryer connections & make sure it’s venting outdoors correctly. Dryers can produce a lot of fine lint, which can be a major source of indoor air pollution.
Check your dryer connections & make sure it’s venting outdoors correctly. Dryers can produce a lot of fine lint, which can be a major source of indoor air pollution.
10/
Air fresheners, scents & fragrances, some household cleaners, & (somewhat obviously) smoking are all big sources of indoor air pollution. Get that stuff out of your house. Here’s a resource for finding safer cleaning products: https://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/
Air fresheners, scents & fragrances, some household cleaners, & (somewhat obviously) smoking are all big sources of indoor air pollution. Get that stuff out of your house. Here’s a resource for finding safer cleaning products: https://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/
11/
Fireplaces--both wood & gas--can be a major source of indoor air pollution if they are not well-maintained. If you have a gas fireplace, place a carbon monoxide (CO) monitor nearby.
Fireplaces--both wood & gas--can be a major source of indoor air pollution if they are not well-maintained. If you have a gas fireplace, place a carbon monoxide (CO) monitor nearby.
12/ If you have a wood fireplace, have it professionally cleaned & make sure the doors fit tightly. Also, avoid having fires on windy nights. The wind can force smoke back down your chimney and into your house.
13/
Stop worrying about the small stuff like whether using a hair dryer is risky, or which way your fan is pointing. It doesn’t actually matter very much.
Stop worrying about the small stuff like whether using a hair dryer is risky, or which way your fan is pointing. It doesn’t actually matter very much.
