Until you or someone in your household begins to suffer from allergies, asthma or chemical sensitivities, it is not too often that the thought of the air quality in your home comes to mind. This is an unfortunate fact because it is widely understood by the agencies and organizations that deal with air quality that indoor air quality is generally worse than that of outdoor air! This means that the place where you spend the bulk of your time, your home, could be causing you more problems than you think.

There is a wide variety of particulate and gaseous contamination that could be affecting your home and just because no one in the household is experiencing symptoms, does not mean that they do not exist. The allergens that we are all familiar with like pollen, dander and dust are present in some level in most homes. Even homes without pets are likely to have dander due to the prevalence of pets and the fact that tiny allergens like dander and pollen can be carried back into the home on clothing. Dusts are mostly created within the home and consist of a combination of many types of particles including dead skin cells, lint and dust mite allergens.

VOC’s or Volitile Organic Compounds comprise a large group of chemical vapors which orginate from various sources in the home. These may be relatively harmless odor causing compounds eminating from a trashcan, kitchen or bathroom or they could be chemicals linked with cancer like formaldehyde which is widely used in building materials.

Becoming aware that these contaminants do exist and understanding where they come from is the first step in beginning to improve the air quality of your home. There are simple steps that can be taken depending on the allergen or chemical which can reduce its introduction into the home; we refer to this as source reduction. This may be removing a pet from the home or limiting their exposure to parts of the home. It could be removing your outer layers of clothing at the door to prevent the introduction of pollen or putting dust mite bags over mattresses and bedding to prevent their proliferation. Even something a simple as switching which chemical cleaners you use to those that do not contain harsh chemicals that will pollute your home can make a big difference in your indoor air quality.

Once you have taken steps to reduce the introduction and creation of contaminants, being proactive about the removal of those which still exist will put you well on your way to a healthy home environment. Reducing clutter will provide fewer places for dust to settle and makes regular cleaning easier and more effective. The use of a high quality HEPA vacuum can do wonders for removing settled allergens from flooring, furniture and curtains or drapes. Getting into a proper cleaning routine can be a touch discipline, but if you are trying to better the health symptoms of someone in the home, it is worth the effort. Lastly, using a HEPA air purifier will let you put technology to work for you. This widely available appliance will actively suck air through layers of filtration which remove airborne particles while you go about your daily life. VOC removal is also possible when you choose an air purifier with sufficient amounts of activated carbon.

If you are hoping to understand what in your home is causing allergies, asthma or chemical sensitivities then testing it the fast track to an answer. By getting testing from a medical professional to determine you or your loved one’s specific triggers and then having the home tested for which triggers exist at high levels you will have a much better idea of where to start.

You can learn a lot more about indoor air quality and how air purification can help by visiting AirPurifierSource.com. There is plenty of information packed into their guide (which can be found here). The guide will walk you right through the learning process. Once you have a good understanding of the issues, they feature purifiers for just about every purpose from allergies and asthma  to pets and odors.

This means no more guessing as to which purifier is right for your home. Identify your needs. Understand the features. Define a budget, and the decision is a breeze. Getting started couldn’t be easier. Begin making your home a healthier place to live today!