Do you know what you are breathing in your home?: Week 6
The condition of your home’s indoor air quality is vital to your family’s health. Most of us spend up to 90% of our time indoors. Certain air quality issues can cause your family to feel ill and even experience serious health issues
Polluted air is a leading cause of poor indoor air quality. Contaminants like dirt, dust, and volatile organic compounds can gather in your ductwork and be expelled into the air you breathe. Dirt and dust enters your home through windows, doors, and cracks and are emitted within your home by household items like carpet, personal care products, candles, and even cooking vapors. In high numbers pollutants can cause your family to experience symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, fatigue, nausea, and even dizziness.
But how do I know when I need to get my air ducts cleaned? Once every two years is the minimal amount. But if you are noticing some foul smells, it may be time for you now. Foul odors coming from a home’s duct system are most commonly attributed to bacteria, mold, pets, tobacco use, vermin, or food preparation.
Bacteria – the amount of dirt and dust that accumulates within an air duct system can be astounding. This debris can become a virtual incubator for bacteria, which can produce bad odors. In addition to giving the air a dreadful smell, bacteria can also enter your living environment and have a negative effect on your health. Fortunately, a thorough cleaning and disinfecting of the air duct system is quite effective at combating bacteria.
Mold – the musty smell of mold is much more than a nuisance, it can trigger allergies and cause respiratory problems. Mold is usually found in air ducts that contain some degree of moisture or humidity. Mold is a member of the fungi family and can reproduce in large quantities if not addressed. Mold releases spores into the air, which can get distributed throughout your home if not eradicated from the duct system.
Pets – dogs, cats and other animals that currently share your home, or shared your home in the past, can contribute a wide variety of disagreeable aromas. For example, fur and dander can accumulate in the air ducts. Also, the scent of pet urine is particularly offensive and can cling to the dust and grime within a home’s duct system. Unless the air ducts are properly cleaned, this sickening odor will remain indefinitely.
Food Preparation – the process of preparing and cooking certain meals can produce strong and lingering odors. These smells can be drawn into the air duct system, where they become quite repugnant over time. Frying can also cast grease into the air, which can actually coat the intakes and walls of the air ducts. The smell of stale grease is quite unpleasant, but it can be neutralized with a professional cleaning.
Rodents – more often than you might think, various pests and rodents crawl into residential air duct systems. They not only leave droppings, many of these creatures are unable to escape and quickly expire. The homeowner is generally unaware this has occurred until the smell of decay begins to waft throughout the home. Of course, the only way to eliminate the stench is to remove the carcass and any residual contaminants.
From your bi-yearly air duct cleaning to suspecting something is living in your ductwork, you’ll need to call in a professional at Universal Duct Cleaning. The sooner you call in your Universal professional, the faster you and your family can enjoy that fresh spring air!
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Universal Duct Cleaning
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