Mold is fairly easy to spot in common spaces, and usually, where there’s water damage, there’s also mold. However, mold can also hide inside the walls, in the attic, and places that aren’t immediately accessible. Even still they can have a big impact on your day-to-day life, specifically when it comes to your health. Your indoor allergy symptoms may have been your first clue that you have mold in your house. To keep you from suffering in your own home, here are some natural remedies for mold allergies.
Neti Pot
A runny nose and nasal congestion are some of the mold allergy symptoms. Wiping and blowing your nose all day can rub it raw, and antihistamines can leave you feeling groggy. Instead, you might consider flushing your nasal passage, removing the germs and debris that lead to discomfort during allergy attacks.
A Neti pot works great for this: Just follow the instructions on the packaging to set it up, then pour water from the pot into one nostril, letting the stream run out of your other nostril. Temporary discomfort can bring you a lot of relief.
Dust Masks
Even if you don’t physically touch more, the spores that float around in the air can invade your airway. Ultimately, it’s these spores, breathed in, that cause your allergies. Having the mold removed is the best way to treat your mold allergies. Until you’re able to have the mold professionally removed from your home, however, a dust mask can bring you some relief from your allergy symptoms.
House Plants
What could possibly be more natural than a plant? The most natural remedy for mold allergies is indoor plants. Not only do house plants make the air cleaner in general, but there are certain types that can even fight against mold. These are the best indoor plants for mold prevention:
English Ivy
Peace Lily
Palm Plants
Snake Plant
Take Supplements
If you don’t trust medications, vitamin supplements can be a great, natural remedy for mold allergies. Specific vitamins can be especially beneficial in fighting your allergy symptoms. When you buy supplements, make sure they include these vitamins for best results:
Bioflavonoids
Flaxseed Oil
Probiotics
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Zinc
Professional Mold Remediation
The above natural remedies for mold allergies work great for treating the symptoms, but ultimately, the problem will persist until the mold is removed from your home. Because contact with mold is dangerous, you should never try to clean or remove mold yourself. Contact a mold remediation specialist at RestoPros to have your mold professionally cleaned and treated at the root to keep it from coming back.
Have questions? We’ve got answers. Call now to speak with one of our friendly representatives. They’ll put your mind at ease. From there, they’ll schedule an appointment for mold treatment at a time that works best for you. Delay any longer! Keep yourself, your family, and your home healthy by calling RestoPros now!
Being indoors doesn’t necessarily mean you’re safe from allergens or that you’re surrounded by good air quality. You still might have to deal with a myriad of other indoor allergies caused by dust mites, animal dander and, of course, mold. If you’re allergic to any of these, your reactions might include sneezing, stuffiness, a runny nose or an itchy throat. These allergens can also cause a reaction in people with asthma. However, you can counter these allergies by bettering your indoor air quality. Here are some helpful ways to improve indoor air quality from the experts at RestoPros!
1. Clean Up
The most effective way you can improve the indoor air quality of your home is by cleaning up frequently. Here are some things to remember when trying to keep your home clean:
Vacuum Often
Chemicals, allergens and pollutants are bound to enter your home and accumulate in the dust. Take some time every weekend to vacuum everything up to get rid of dust, pet dander or other toxins and allergens that could cause problems.
Mop Up Too
Mopping up helps clear up any dander that the vacuum did not pick up. Instead of using chemical solutions or cleaners, use plain water.
Take off Your Shoes
Your shoes and boots bring in pollutants, pesticides and dirt. Don’t bring your shoes inside – or wear them on your carpet. Use a shoe rack to keep your shoes neatly stacked away to prevent dirt from sneaking its way into your home.
Change the Sheets
Sheets that have not been changed for long have dead skin, dust mites and allergens all over them. Remember to change and clean your sheets every two weeks.
2. Maintain Humidity
Keeping your home’s humidity at a reasonable level prevents mold from infesting your home. Mold is a fungus that needs moisture and damp environments to survive. One of the best ways to prevent mold (and other indoor allergens) is to control the moisture and humidity in your home. You can do this by investing in a dehumidifier, which removes excess humidity from your home. Keep your home’s humidity between 30-50 percent.
3. Improve Air Flow
Don’t block any return vents in your home and let fresh air in. Opening windows will ensure that any toxic chemicals and pollutants don’t accumulate in your home. However, if opening windows adds to the problem by bringing pollen in, keep your AC system well-filtered and well-functioning. Your AC filter should be changed every three months. If you have furry occupants in your home, you might have to change it more often.
4. Groom Your Pets Regularly
As much as we love our pets, they can sometimes create a mess in our home. They’re adorable but a little clumsy and bad at keeping themselves clean. If they spend a lot of time outside, they might often bring in mites, insects, mold spores and dirt into your home, in addition to bringing in excess fur. Pet dander is one of the most common causes of allergies so it’s best to groom them regularly to prevent allergies and bad indoor air quality. How often you clean your pet depends on several factors such as their breed, coat type and how dirty they are.
Keep Your Home Allergen and Mold-Free with RestoPros
If you want more tips to improve your indoor air quality and prevent allergens such as mold, get in touch with the experts at RestoPros. Our team serves the great DFW Metroplex as a leading mold and water remediation company – dedicated to making sure our customers are treated with professionalism and respect. Call us today at 855-587-3786 or schedule an appointment online!
Have you recently been experiencing watery eyes or a
slightly stuffy nose? Resist the urge to look these symptoms up on WebMD because
you’ll only scare yourself. Instead, you might want to inspect your house for
mold—your body could be reacting to it. Mold is a
type of fungus that grows particularly in areas with excess moisture and
spreads via microscopic spores, sometimes ending up indoors. It can be a
nuisance in addition to being harmful to your health, especially if you are
susceptible to allergies. We know this all sounds a little worrying but if you
do your research and take the proper precautions, you will be fine. For your
knowledge and safety, the professionals at RestoPros
have created a quick guide on how to avoid health problems caused by mold.
Worsening of Asthma
21 percent of the
current asthma cases in the United States are attributed to dampness and mold
in the home. Mold spores inhaled by people with asthma can cause the airways in
the lungs to constrict and produce more mucus. Reactions to this can include
shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing.
How to Avoid It
While asthma is a life-long disease, one of the ways you can
manage it is by limiting
your exposure to certain things that might trigger your asthma, such as
mold spores. Some ways you can do this:
Use DIY mold cleaning
products in your bathroom, kitchen or other areas prone to mold. It’s a
great alternative to products containing bleach that can be toxic for your
health and can trigger asthma in some people. You can mix baking soda or vinegar with water
to create non-toxic, asthma friendly, mold cleaners. When buying asthma
friendly products, look for the green
seal of approval on products.
Include exhaust fans in your home to ensure
proper ventilation.
Use a dehumidifier or humidity monitor that
indicates humidity levels in the home. Be sure to keep humidity levels below 50
percent.
It’s difficult to avoid mold spores outside but
try to stay away from areas where mold counts are high such as parks and
gardens. If you must be outside, wear an allergy mask.
Skin Irritations
While there is a weak link between exposure to mold and
excessive skin irritation, some organizations such as the Center for Disease Control
and Prevention still consider skin irritation as a symptom of exposure to mold, albeit a less common one.
How to Avoid It
According to the American
Academy of Dermatology, outdoor allergens such as pollen and mold spores
could trigger Eczema in some children who already have it. If your child’s
Eczema flares up when outdoor mold counts are high, try to limit their time
outdoors. Also, keep your child off the lawn a couple of hours after it has
been mowed.
Antihistamines are good for symptoms of allergy
such as sneezing and itching. Zyrtec and Benadryl are some of the most common
antihistamines taken to reduce allergy symptoms. You can also try applying
calamine lotion to relieve any skin irritation. Read all the directions before
you take any medications and consult your doctor or pharmacist if you have any
concerns.
Take an oatmeal bath! Sure, it might be a little
messy but it’s good for relieving irritated skin. You can either take the DIY route by making
your own oatmeal powder, or you can purchase Oatmeal bath treatment kits from a
pharmacy.
Sinusitis or Sinus Infection
Inhaling allergens can lead to the inflammation of the
sinuses leading to a sinus infection. Signs of this condition are nasal
stuffiness, sinus headaches and fever. A more serious version of this is allergic
fungal sinusitis, which is the swelling of the sinuses after fungus comes
into contact with the sinuses. Some people with allergic fungal sinusitis might need
surgery to remove fungal debris from the sinuses.
How to Avoid It
Do saline rinses to keep your sinuses clean. You
can purchase saline solutions from your local pharmacy or make
your own saline solution.
Stay away from sugary foods– fungus feeds on
sugars. Try this anti-fungal
diet instead.
Stay hydrated by drinking lots of fluids.
Eat fish oil tablets to strengthen your immune
system.
Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is a
condition caused by an allergic reaction to certain dusts you inhale, leading
to the inflammation of the lungs. It is also called Farmer’s Lung as it is
common amongst farmers and cattle workers who breathe in allergens from mold on
hay. There is also something known as mold-induced
hypersensitivity pneumonitis, which can be
caused by contaminated humidifiers and ventilation and even areas with water
damage. Symptoms of hypersensitivity pneumonitis include chest tightness, dry cough,
shortness of breath and chills.
How to Avoid It
Thoroughly clean out your ventilation systems.
Make it a goal to be active for 30 minutes a
day. Go for a jog, a brisk walk or take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Exercising can help your metabolism and increase the efficiency of oxygen
transportation in your body.
Eat foods
that are known to reduce inflammation. Some examples are green tea, turmeric,
leafy greens and blue berries.
These might be great preventative solutions, the best way to
avoid health problems caused by mold is by removing exposure to the mold. If
you think your house might have a mold problem call RestoPros at 855-587-3786
or schedule
an appointment on our website. With years of experience and a dedicated
team, we’ll make sure your home is mold-free.
There are few things more exhausting to cope with than allergies. From springtime sneeze attacks to missing out on playing with your friend’s new puppy, allergies keep you from many things. However, if you suffer from mold allergies, you face daily triggers that are everywhere, and don’t disappear with springtime. Are you looking for simpler methods to ease your day-to-day symptoms? Well, the experts at RestoPros are here to help by telling you about some common mold allergies and homeopathic solutions.
Identifying Your Mold Allergies:
First of all, you must identify the type of mold that’s causing the reaction. Moreover, it’s important to identify the type of mold so you can understand the symptoms that come with exposure. Therefore, to help you navigate your own symptoms, here are some common mold allergies:
1. Alternaria Allergy
• Characteristics:
Dark green, black, or grey with long velvety hairs, Alternaria is a mold that requires very little moisture to grow.
• Where it Grows:
Because it requires minimal moisture to grow, Alternaria is commonly found on carpets, clothing, basements, windows, and doors.
• Symptoms:
If you’re suffering from exposure to this type of mold, you’ll experience symptoms similar to hay fever. In addition to the hay fever symptoms, you may also experience respiratory problems and asthma.
2. Aspergillus Allergy
• Characteristics:
Because it can be grey, brown, yellow, green, white, or black, Aspergillus is often tricky to identify from other molds. That being said, this type of mold grows very quickly once the spores are released.
• Where it Grows:
Although Aspergillus mold grows quickly, it does require more
moisture than Alternaria. As a prevalent household mold, it grows in walls,
soil, insulation, basements, and clothing.
• Exposure Symptoms:
Particularly harmful to people with weakened immune systems, such as young children and the elderly, Aspergillus can cause serious infections. Releasing aflatoxin, a chemical that can cause liver damage and cancer, Aspergillus is one of the more dangerous household molds to encounter.
3. Cladosporium Allergy
• Characteristics:
With a powdery texture and grey, brown, or black in color,
Cladosporium can have dark-pigmented conidia that occur in simple or branching
chains.
• Where it Grows:
As a mold that can grow on both dead and living matter, it is
commonly found on food, dead plants, insulation, wood, and dark, damp
environments, such as basements.
• Exposure Symptoms:
If exposed to Cladosporium, you may experience allergic reactions similar to hay fever. This can include dry skin, sneezing, runny nose, scratchy throat, coughing, and watery eyes. On the more severe end, you could also suffer asthma attacks, fungal sinusitis, tightness in your chest, and difficulty breathing.
4. Memnoniella Allergy
• Characteristics:
Although very similar to Stachybotrys, Memnoniella mold is
smaller and is usually a dark green or black color.
• Where it Grows:
Growing in damp areas like bathrooms and basements,
Memnoniella can also be found on cotton, wool, canvas, walls, and ceilings.
• Exposure Symptoms:
While this mold is less common and poses a lesser health risk than others, you can experience severe symptoms. Most commonly, these symptoms include respiratory problems, coughing, and headaches.
5. Penicillium Allergy
• Characteristics:
With over 300 species, Penicillium mold is typically blue or
green. Named after the Latin word for paintbrush, the spores of Penicillium
form into what closely resembles a paintbrush.
• Where it Grows:
As a mold that has been identified world-wide, Penicillium can grow anywhere. From air and soil to leather, food, and insulation, this is a prevalent household mold.
• Exposure Symptoms:
Although Penicillium has saved countless lives, there are species of Penicillium that produce toxic compounds. If a mold-sensitive individual is exposed to the spores, they can experience congestion, eye irritation, and coughing. If food with Penicillium mold is ingested, it will also irritate the stomach.
6. Stachybotrys Allergy
• Characteristics:
More notoriously known as toxic black mold, Stachybotrys is
dark green or black in color with a slimy texture.
• Where it Grows:
Because it thrives on material with a high cellulose and low nitrogen content, Stachybotrys is commonly found on fiberboard, gypsum board, paper, dust, and lint. Therefore, this toxic mold can grow in walls, ceilings, and floorboards as long as there is consistent moisture present.
• Exposure Symptoms:
As its commonly-known name denotes, Stachybotrys can cause severe headaches, asthma, dizziness, and joint pain. In addition to the physical symptoms, it can cause fatigue and mental impairment. Furthermore, exposure to Stachybotrys has been linked to cancer, internal organ failure, and multiple deaths infant deaths.
Homeopathic Solutions
Although general practitioner-prescribed medicines address the symptoms of mold allergies, they often miss the mark in tackling the cause. Moreover, many of these medications come with a laundry list of unwanted side effects. As a result, you may start to wonder if the mold allergies are worse than the side effects of the medication.
Rather than just address the symptoms, you can explore homeopathic solutions. As a better long-term option, homeopathic solutions tackle mold allergies from within, alleviating the stress on your immune system. To lay out some natural alternatives, here are some homeopathic solutions to explore:
1. Change Up Your Diet
For many mold allergy sufferers, the exposure doesn’t end with airborne spores. In fact, many foods contain mold spores that can wreak havoc on your immune system, if you’re mold sensitive. Consequently, simple changes in your diet can produce dramatic results in lessening your symptoms. Here are some examples of the diet changes you can make:
Remove These Foods from
Your Diet:
Mushrooms
Cheese
Pickles
Sour Cream
Vinegar
Buttermilk
Beer
Wine
High-Yeast Breads, like Pumpernickel
Sauerkraut
Soy Sauce
Pickled and Smoked Meats
Dried Fruit
Processed, Canned, and Bottled Foods
High Sugar Fruits, like pineapple,
mango, bananas, melons, oranges, and grapes
Add These Foods to Your
Diet:
Pastured and organic animal products, like beef, bison, lamb, veal, wild-caught seafood, poultry, and pastured eggs
Ginger, garlic, cayenne, and horseradish
Organic fresh fruit, like berries, apples, lemons, limes
Yeast-Free Breads, such as flatbreads and tortillas
Raw nuts and seeds, like sunflower, pumpkin, flax, and chia seeds, and low mold nuts like almonds
Extra virgin olive oil, coconut milk, coconut oil, organic butter, and avocados.
Filtered water, non-fruity herbal teas, mineral water, fresh veggie juice, low-mold alcohols like vodka and gin.
2. Add Some Herbs and Supplements
Another homeopathic measure to alleviate your symptoms is adding beneficial herbs and supplements to your diet. Here are some to include:
Garlic
Pau d’arco
Oregano Oil
Tea Tree Oil
Ginger
Apple Cider Vinegar
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Turmeric
Powdered Licorice
Lemongrass Oil
Berberine
Echinacea Angustifolia (Purple Coneflower)
Grape Seed Extract
Aloe Vera
Chamomile
Tannate Plant Extracts
Flaxseed Oil
Bioflavonoids
Probiotics
Vitamin C, A, and E
Zinc
3. Explore Some Herbal Medicine
In order to relieve your symptoms with more natural methods, you can explore some herbal medicines. Here are a few to consider:
Dong Quai
This serves as an effective anti-inflammatory and antihistamine.
Eyebright –
Use this medicine to reduce congestion, as well as itchy eyes and sneezing.
Gingko –
Containing bioflavonoids, this medicine is also an antihistamine and
anti-inflammatory.
Milk Thistle –
In addition to reducing allergic, inflammatory, and histaminic reactions, milk
thistle supports your liver function.
Red clover –
This medicine serves as a resistance-builder to mold.
Yarrow –
Yarrow alleviates congestion and reduces secretion.
Stinging nettles – Stinging nettles are another anti-inflammatory and antihistamine.
4. Take Some Natural Remedies
If you’re looking for a way to fortify your immune system against mold, here are some natural remedies to explore:
ThyroLiver Protect
To help detoxify your liver and support the production of glutathione, take 1-2 caps, twice a day of ThyroLiver Protect. Using selenium, milk thistle extract, Alpha-Lipoic Acid, and N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, this medicine helps your liver neutralize and process mold spores.
Super Glutathione
For added support to your liver and digestive tract, take 1-2 caps, twice a day of Super Glutathione.
Coconut Charcoal
To help your digestive tract detoxify mold spores, use 1-2 caps of coconut charcoal between meals and before bed.
Allium Cepa
Use this supplement to help with discharge from your eyes and nose, and to alleviate hoarseness.
Euphrasia
To alleviate discharge from your eyes and nose, a dry cough, sneezing, and diarrhea, take Euphrasia.
Natrum Muriaticum
For discharge from your eyes, cold sores, a loss of your sense of taste and smell, and headaches, take natrum muriaticum.
Wyethia
WWith Wyethia, you can alleviate extreme itchiness in the nose and throat, a swollen throat, and blocked nasal passages.
Nux Vomica
If you have a runny nose during the day and a dry nose at night, Nux Vomica may be what you need. Additionally, it can relieve sneeze attacks and outdoor reactions to pollen.
5. Reduce Exposure
Keep Your House Clean
Most harmful indoor mold growth starts with dust, dander, and moisture. Therefore, your best bet at keeping mold at bay in is keeping a clean home. This means regularly dusting and vacuuming with a HEPA filter vacuum to eliminate dust and dirt. Furthermore, you should keep damp places like your bathrooms, kitchen, and basement clean and dry.
Reduce Humidity Levels
Another important way to keep your home mold-free is regulating the humidity levels. In order to best track and control indoor humidity, we recommend purchasing a hygrometer and dehumidifier. In fact, many dehumidifiers contain a built-in hygrometer, allowing you to easily measure and maintain a healthy level of humidity.
Keep Outside Spores Outside
In order to avoid bringing harmful mold spores into your home, there are plenty of simple measures you can take. Since many mold spores are found in piles of leaves, grass, and dirt, your shoes can track them into your house. Therefore, you can avoid bringing them inside by taking off and leaving your shoes by the door. Also, you should wash your clothes and shower each evening, so you’re not taking any lingering spores to bed with you.
Filter Your Air
Because mold is everywhere, it’s impossible to avoid bringing it into your home. However, you can eliminate a large portion of it from your air. With the right air filtration system, you can breathe easy with clean, mold-free air. Additionally, there are many different air purifiers on the market with HEPA filters that are very effective in providing mold-free air.
Invest in Some Houseplants
One of our favorite natural ways to remove mold spores from your home air is keeping some purifying houseplants. In many cases, certain houseplants can even help improve conditions for asthma sufferers. For some 2-in-1 natural relief, here are some plants to consider keeping:
Peace Lilies
Mums
Spider Plants
Bamboo Palm
Areca Palm
Dracaena Plants
Snake Plants
Boston Fern
Aloe Plants
Stop Mold in Its Tracks with
RestoPros
Although you
can treat your mold allergies with homeopathic solutions, there are
preventative measures you can take to keep a mold-free home. With our
knowledgeable mold removal experts, the team at RestoPros is dedicated to
helping residents of the DFW area fight back against mold. For help from mold
removal experts you can trust, call us today at 855-587-3786 or fill out a service request form on our website!
In today’s world, our indoor air can be just as saturated with harmful pollutants as our outdoor air. Some of the most hazardous indoor pollutants are called bio-aerosols. Not only do they have negative effects on your respiratory system, but they can cause disease and worsen allergy symptoms. Are bio-aerosols affecting your air quality? Find some answers with these expert tips from the team at RestoPros.
What Are Bio-aerosols?
Bio-aerosols are small airborne particles that come from a living organism, or are the living organism. Here are some common sources of bio-aerosols in the average household:
Pet Dander
Tree Pollen
Bacteria
Viruses
Mold
Mildew
Dust
Chemical Odors
Vapors
What Are the Health Risks of Exposure
to Bioaerosols?
Bio-aerosols can pose some serious threats to your health. Some common health issues are respiratory problems, disease, aggravated asthma and allergy symptoms, and weakened immune systems.
How Do Bio-aerosols Get Inside Your Home?
First of all, you must understand that the term “bio-aerosol” is short for biological aerosols. To clarify, these particles either come from or consist of biological or living material. For instance, sources can include dirt on shoes, a sneeze, decomposed food in your garbage, or your pets’ fur. In addition to these sources, high levels of humidity can cause the growth of mold or mildew.
Are Bio-aerosols Affecting Your Air Quality?
While the same testing techniques are used for non-biological aerosols, the proper sampler must be used for accurate results. Therefore, you will need to do some research and consult with a professional to find the right sampler. Furthermore, it often takes a professional to know the proper routing methods for sample collection.
What Can You Do to Reduce the Number of Bio-aerosols in Your Home?
As we previously mentioned, most harmful bio-aerosols thrive in humid climates. Therefore, you can reduce the presence of bio-aerosols in your indoor air by maintaining humidity levels in your house. As a result, mold and mildew growth can be prevented, thereby preventing the increase of bio-aerosols.
Trust the RestoPros with Your Air
If you’re concerned about bio-aerosols affecting your air quality, the team at RestoPros has the experts you can trust to find the right solutions. With years of experience helping homeowners find real solutions, we are ready to help you find yours today! Call us at 855-587-3786 or schedule an appointment on our website.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the top five air quality problems in the U.S. are with our indoor air. To help you counteract these pollutants, the experts at RestoPros are here to tell you about these 5 common air quality problems in your house with a room to room guide!
1. Excessive Moisture
First of all, we want to discuss the effects of excessive moisture on your home’s air quality. Although it is one of the most overlooked air quality problems, excessive moisture is also one of the most detrimental ones. As such, excessive moisture can lead to serious issues in the following rooms of your house:
Bathrooms
Even if you use your exhaust fans and keep your bathrooms well ventilated, moisture still tends to thrive in these areas. In bathrooms, moisture buildup occurs in towels, bath mats, shower curtains and linings, walls, floors, and ceilings. With this moisture comes mildew, mold, and dust mites, all of which pose serious threats to the air you and your family breathe.
Kitchen
Another area in your home that can be affected by excessive moisture is your kitchen. Because of the steam-releasing activities you do in your kitchen like running the dishwasher, cooking on the stove, and baking in the oven, the presence of moisture is a given. When these activities increase the humidity levels in the air, it facilitates off-gassing of toxins in furniture and cleaning products.
Laundry Room
As another area to monitor for excessive moisture, your laundry room can develop high humidity levels. Many times, laundry rooms are not as well-ventilated as they should be, allowing the heat from your dryer to meet the moist, cool air from your washer to create steam. Consequently, condensation can build up on your laundry room walls, cabinets, and windows, providing the ideal breeding ground for mold, mildew, and dust mites.
Basement
One of the most obvious rooms in your home that can have excessive moisture problems is the basement. As you probably know, water can be transported into your basement through leaks in the foundation, plumbing pipes, or cracks in the floor. Therefore, the air quality in your basement can easily become compromised by mold spores and mildew.
2. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Next on the list of common indoor air quality problems are VOCs. Including a range of evaporated substances from formaldehyde, gasoline, pesticides, and cooking processes, these harmful compounds can infiltrate your air in many forms. Furthermore, certain body odors are VOCs that can also affect your indoor air quality. Here are some rooms of your house that are likely to contain VOCs:
Laundry Room
As the first room on our list, your laundry room can be a hotbed for VOCs. A little-known fact about dryer and softener sheets is that they contain high levels of formaldehyde. Because this is one of the most harmful VOCs to pollute indoor air, your laundry room is at the top of our list of areas in your home with VOC-related air quality problems.
Garage
Another area of your house that is a magnet for VOCs is your garage. Considering the gasoline levels emitted from your cars, stored lawn mowers, and other motor-driven equipment, the air quality in your garage can be saturated with VOCs. Furthermore, this problem is exacerbated by trapping these VOCs behind closed and sealed garage doors. Particularly if the primary door used to enter and exit your home is through the garage, these VOCs can easily infiltrate your indoor air in other areas of your home.
Living Room
Third on our list is your living room. Because formaldehyde can be emitted by building materials and furnishings, your furniture and carpets can be sources of VOCs in your indoor air.
Kitchen
As another room with VOCs, your kitchen can be a source of cooking processes and odor-related VOCs. While there are few things more enticing than the smell of freshly baked bread, the lingering aroma indicates the presence of VOCs in your air. Other smells like the pungent odor of onions can release major VOCs into your air, as well. Additionally, using any gas-powered cooking appliances releases gasoline VOCs into your air. Furthermore, that bowl of pesticide-covered fresh fruit or plump tomatoes could be releasing VOCs into your air.
Bedrooms
As we previously explained, many body odors are VOCs. Therefore, body odors that are trapped on your bedding, clothes, curtains, or carpeting can be released into your air, as well. Also, if you wash and dry your bedding and clothing with standard softener and dryer sheets, you could be introducing formaldehyde into your air.
Bathrooms
One horrifying reality is the presence of formaldehyde in many cosmetic and beauty products. From skincare to hair-care products, a shocking number of popular brands contain varying levels of this harmful VOC. Not only does your skin absorb the formaldehyde in these products, but your indoor air also absorbs it. Also, without getting into unpleasant details, the odors released when you answer nature’s call in the bathroom are VOCs that are emitted into your air.
3. Combustion Products
Third on our list of indoor air quality problems are combustion products. Some common pollutants produced by combustion products are carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, and water vapor. Commonly emitted from gas-fired appliances like furnaces, water heaters, ranges, and dryers, these VOCs can be found in the air of many rooms in your house. Here are the rooms most likely to contain VOCs from combustion products:
Kitchen
Especially if you have gas-fired appliances or appliances that are not properly vented to the outside, the air in your kitchen can be a hub for carbon monoxide. Furthermore, if you have any unsealed gas appliances, negative air pressure can cause back drafting. Consequently, combustion pollutants can enter your house and infect your indoor air quality.
Laundry Room
Another room in your home that can have poorer air quality due to combustion products is your laundry room. If your dryer is gas-powered, it can produce carbon monoxide. Therefore, the air in your laundry room can become polluted with carbon monoxide if your gas dryer is not properly vented.
Garage and Driveway
For homes with attached garages, combustion-related VOCs can easily affect your indoor air. Because the exhaust fumes from vehicles are a major source of combustion products, your indoor air is that much more susceptible to these VOCs with an attached garage.
Any Space with Fireplaces, Wood Stoves, and Chimneys
Other sources of combustion products include fireplaces and chimneys. Releasing combustion gases and particles, pollutants from fireplaces or wood stoves can become back-drafted from the chimney into your living space.
Rooms with Unvented Kerosene and Gas Heaters
Along with your gas-powered kitchen appliances, your unvented kerosene and gas heaters can release carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide into the air. Furthermore, your indoor air can be contaminated by acid aerosols from unvented kerosene heaters.
4. Radon
Although radon is fourth on our list, this pollutant poses some of the most serious threats to your indoor air quality. Because it is virtually undetectable without formal testing, this radioactive gas is an often-overlooked problem. Entering your home through dirt floors, cracks in your walls and floors, or through floor drains and sumps, radon is commonly found in higher concentrations in lower-lying rooms. However, rooms with granite surfaces can also be sources of radon, as these rocks contain radium, uranium, and thorium. If these naturally-occurring radioactive elements decay, they can turn into radon, causing a negative impact on your indoor air. Therefore, here are some rooms that could contain radon:
Basement
As previously explained, the rooms in your house closer to your foundation are the most vulnerable to radon exposure. Especially if your basement has cracks in the floors, walls, or ceiling, or has a floor drain or sump, radon can easily seep into your home.
Kitchen and Bathrooms
Other rooms in your house that can contain levels of radon are your kitchen and bathrooms. Especially if you have granite counter tops, the presence of radon in these rooms is a likely possibility.
Crawlspaces
Like a basement, a crawlspace beneath your house is a prime spot for radon. Because of its proximity to the soil and rocks beneath your house, a crawlspace can contain higher levels of radon. If the floors above that crawlspace have any penetrable areas, radon can rise into your home.
5. Tobacco Smoke
Like the rest of the world, you are probably aware of the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. However, the additional problem of third-hand smoke has been recently added to the many side-effects of smoking. In short, third-hand-smoke is the lingering presence of harmful tobacco toxins on furnishings, surfaces, and clothing in your home. Here are some rooms where the air is commonly affected by tobacco smoke:
Living Room
When a smoker enters a space after smoking, you can immediately smell smoke on their clothes, hair, and skin. Furthermore, their hands are usually stained with tobacco toxins from touching their cigarette or cigar. These toxins are transferred to any surface that smoker touches and can stay on those surfaces for years. Therefore, as the most actively used room in your house, your living room is vulnerable to third-hand smoke.
Bedrooms
Unfortunately, even the bedrooms of non-smokers are susceptible to tobacco smoke pollutants in the air. Because of third-hand smoke, the residual tobacco toxins you pick up from other surfaces can be transferred to your bedroom.
Closets
Considering how tobacco toxins cling to fabrics, the closets in a home with a smoker are saturated with tobacco pollutants. Especially in coat closets, smoke can linger a long time on fabrics that are washed less frequently. Consequently, this smoke is inevitably introduced into your air.
Are You Ready to Tackle these Common Air Quality Problems in Your House?
Tackle these problems with the help of the RestoPros team! With years of helping residents and homeowners achieve clean air, the experts at RestoPros are the professionals you can trust. If you are ready to find the best clean air solutions for your home, call us today at 855-587-3786 or fill out a service request form on our website!
Mold and mildew can be deeply detrimental to your health and your home. If you, like most homeowners, shudder at the thought of it invading your house, learn how to protect your AC unit from mold by following these expert tips from the team at RestoPros.
1. Use the “Auto” Mode While You’re Away
Especially while you are away during the day or on vacation, keeping your AC unit running can control the humidity levels in your home. Therefore, you should set your unit to the “auto” mode while you are away, rather than turning your AC completely off. Mold tends to grow more commonly on AC units that have been dormant for a period of time.
2. Perform or Schedule Regular Maintenance
Routine maintenance of your HVAC equipment is imperative to keeping everything in good working condition. Especially during the transition between winter and spring, you should have your AC unit professionally serviced. Because AC units are dark and warm on the inside, they can be an ideal breeding ground for mold and mildew. You can prevent this with good cleaning habits and regular maintenance.
3. Keep it Clean
As previously mentioned, keeping your AC unit clean can drastically reduce the chances of mold growth. Here are some cleaning tasks you can perform on your own between your annual tune-up visits:
Clean your exterior condenser/compressor.
Use a wet/dry vacuum to remove debris from the interior of your condenser/compressor. Then, use the brush attachment on a shop vac to remove outside dirt. Next, clean the fins by spraying them from the inside with a gentle garden hose. You can also use a fin cleaning spray for a deeper clean. Once you have done these tasks, be sure to clean the area around the unit, raking away leaves and trimming overgrowth.
Clean the evaporator coil on your indoor unit.
Opening the evaporator coil door on the blower/furnace unit, gently dust the coil with a soft brush. Then, spray the coil with no-rinse coil cleaner and allow it to foam and drip into the drain pan. Next, clean out the drain pan with soapy hot water and a little bit of bleach. Then, pour a cup of 50% bleach and 50% water down the drain.
Clean your plugged evaporator drain.
Over time, mold can build up in your evaporator drain. To clean it, find the drain line where it leaves the evaporator coil enclosure. Once you locate the end of this line, use a wet/dry vac to clear the drain.
4. Control Moisture
Moisture control within and around your AC unit is essential to mold prevention. Your ducts are the vessel through which all conditioned air travels to reach your home. Therefore, any mold growth in your ducts can threaten your air quality dramatically. To keep your ducts mold-free, you need to keep them moisture-free. You can do this by maintaining your draining channels and regularly checking for and repairing any leaks. If you ever find standing water anywhere in your duct system, you should have your system professionally serviced asap. In the case of window units, you should invest in models with humidity control.
5. Replace Your Air Filters Regularly
Because the blower filters in your HVAC system are the main line of defense between your indoor air and mold spores, changing them regularly is an important step to keep your AC unit mold-free. You should change these filters at least twice a year, but we recommend every 3-4 months for homeowners with pets or who live in a dusty area. Furthermore, we recommend using HEPA filters to remove the greatest volume of pollutants and allergens from your air.
6. Keep Your Home Clean
Although it may seem like the ultimate catch-22, a happy AC unit = clean air, and clean air = a happy AC unit. In other words, in order for your AC unit to stay clean and free of mold-causing dust particles, you should keep your home clean. Regularly dust and vacuum your home to reduce the level of particle buildup within your AC unit.
Call the RestoPros Team!
As experienced mold experts, we have a wealth of solutions to protect your AC unit from mold. If you are looking for professional help with mold intervention or remediation, call RestoPros today at 855-587-3786 or fill out a service request form on our website!
For seasonal allergy sufferers, it is usually easy to know when Spring is in the air, because of the pollen it brings with it. However, year-round allergies could point to problems with the air in your home. But how can you tell if your morning sneeze attacks are one of Spring’s cruel tricks or a consequence of poor air quality? Well, the team at RestoPros is here to tell you how to test your home air quality so you can find some answers!
Test for Radon
There are two types of tests to measure radon: short-term tests, which measure radon levels in your home over a period of 2-7 days, and long-term tests, which measure radon levels for a period of 90 days or more. Both tests can include kits using passive or active testing devices.
Passive Testing Devices:
These testing devices don’t require power to function. Here are the most commonly used passive testing devices:
Charcoal Canisters
A charcoal canister is a short-term test (from 2-7 days.) Place your canister in a dry area of your home for the best results. Each canister contains activated charcoal. Over the course of a few days, radon will be absorbed onto the charcoal and then measured at a lab with a sodium iodide detector.
Alpha Track
Contrary to a charcoal canister, this is a long-term test. An alpha track test measures your exposure to radon during different seasons. Considering the affects changing weather and ventilation habits have on radon levels, this test provides a more reliable estimate of actual risk. An alpha track testing kit is also simple to use.
Electret Ion Chamber
An Electret Ion Chamber device is another reliable long-term test option. After placing it in your testing area, an electrostatically charged Teflon disk inside the test chamber is struck by the ions produced from the decay of radon. This strike reduces the surface voltage, which is then measured in the lab to calculate the radon concentration.
Active Testing Devices:
These devices require power to function. The main active testing device for radon is a continuous monitor or continuous working level monitor. Here is how it works:
Continuous/Working Level Monitors
These portable devices are designed to measure radon levels in your home for 2 to 7 days, making it a short-term test. Testing can be done with this device during any season, as long as it’s done within closed building conditions. This testing device gives hour by hour measurements of the radon levels in your home. In addition to the levels, this device also measures movement and power interruptions.
Test for Lead Paint
LeadCheck Swab Kit
– Lead screening can be done by purchasing a swab kit from LeadCheck. The EPA recognizes this kit for its accuracy in testing wood and metals containing alloy and iron. This kit recommends the following steps:
Swab the surface you want to test.
Wait 30 seconds; if the tip of the swab turns pick or red, the test is positive for lead.
If the tip of the swab does not change in color, the tested surface is lead-free.
Klean-Strip D Kit
Another EPA-approved test for both hard (wood trim) and soft (drywall) materials, this testing kit uses color-change technology to provide easy-to-read results. However, unlike the previously mentioned LeadCheck swab kit that only offers a negative or positive reading for lead, a Klean-Strip D kit shows increments of lead amounts. Here are the steps involved in using this kit to test for lead paint:
Select an area of your home with low traffic, such as the wall behind a door or inside a closet to test for lead. Wipe down the testing area and your testing tools with the wipes provided in the kit.
Once the area is wiped down, attach the paint chip catch card that is included in your kit to the wall.
Then, use your scoring tool to start the cut right above the catch card.
Next, remove the paint chip from the wall with the razor blade from your kit. While completing this step, make sure to remove any layers below the surface paint, as the house may have been repainted with non-lead paint.
Now, cut the paint chip into about four small pieces and drop them into solution number 1 from your kit. Then, shake solution 1 for 10 seconds; then, add 5 drops of solution number 2, and shake again for 10 seconds.
After shaking the two solutions and paint chips together, the solution will change color. Measure the resulting color against a color-coded viewer that is on the bottle. If the solution is darker than the test color, your paint probably has some lead in it. For further verification, there is another strip included in the kit that you can drop into the solution.
Test for VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)
You can purchase test kits and different tools that will help you identify harmful compounds such as formaldehyde, tobacco smoke, and other VOCs. Here are a few options on the market:
Light-Aided Sensors
There are two main light-aided sensor options you can use:
A Photo-ionization Detector, or PID
A PID blasts air samples with high-energy photons in the UV wavelength variety. During interaction with the UV light, VOCs take on this energy and release negatively charged electrons. This leaves them with a positive charge that is measured with the circuitry of the detector.
A Nondispersive Infrared, or NDIR
Similar to a PID, these sensors rely on gas molecules’ inclination to absorb light. After infrared light bombards the air sample, different gases absorb specific wavelengths of the light. The infrared sensor checks which wavelengths are missing after the light passes through the sample cavity. As a result, the NDIR device can tell which gases are present.
Semiconductor Sensors
Semiconductors are substances that conduct electricity under specific conditions. To assess air quality, they can be used in the following ways:
Gas-Sensitive Semiconductor, or GSS
Being sensitive to VOCs, a GSS will exhibit changes in its electrical conductivity in response to polluted air samples. The measurements of the differences in readings can determine the concentration of VOCs and ozone threats.
Metal-Oxide Semiconductor, or MOS
Operating similarly to a GSS, a MOS is sensitive to dangerous gases, such as ethylene glycol and carbon tetra-chloride. However, unlike a GSS, some MOS devices include heating elements that can increase the sensitivity to dangerous gases for a more measurable response.
Holographic Sensors
The holograms that make up these sensors contain specially selected materials that modify their refractive index when they interact with VOC molecules. Therefore, the VOC molecules are measured by the changes in the color of the reflection.
Check Your Home for Signs of Mold
Since mold is a common contributor to poor indoor air quality, it is a good idea to check your home for its presence. Here are some DIY tests to try:
Air Testing
With a petri dish from your mold testing kit, follow these steps to test your air for mold spores:
Remove the petri dish from the plastic and place it on a level surface with the lid side up. Then, remove the lid and pour the mold growth medium (potato dextrose) into the dish.
Next, put the lid back on the dish and gently swirl the potato dextrose until the bottom is completely covered. Once this is achieved, allow it to gel for one hour on a level surface.
After the potato dextrose has gelled, place the petri dish on a level surface in the area you want to test. Remove the lid of the dish and leave it open to the environment for 1 hour.
Once 1 hour has passed, replace the lid and let the sample incubate for 48 hours. When the 48-hour incubation period is over, examine the sample. If there is no presence of mold, re-check the sample at the 72-hour mark and the 96-hour mark to be sure you have not overlooked slow-growing mold. If mold growth is present, you can send the sample to the lab associated with your kit for further testing.
Surface Testing
You can purchase many different types of kits to test samples from household surfaces for mold. These kit tests can involve a swabbing or tape lifting Once you have followed the instructions from your testing kit to collect surface samples, you will send the sample in the provided return mailer to a lab for testing.
Call in The Professionals to Test Your Home Air Quality
Although you now know how to test your home air quality on your own, it is always a smart move to let a professional air quality expert conduct a thorough inspection. With the vast array of factors that could be affecting your air quality, there is no better team to trust than the experts at RestoPros. Whether you need help with a mold problem or just want to improve your home’s air quality, call us today at 855-587-3786 or fill out a service request form on our website for quick and reliable service!
