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Carpet and Upholstery
Cleaning
We Produce the "WOW" Factor
Indoor Air Quality
Source Control
Usually the most
effective way to
improve indoor air
quality is to
eliminate individual
sources of pollution
or to reduce their
emissions. Some
sources, like those
that contain
asbestos, can be
sealed or enclosed;
others, like gas
stoves, can be
adjusted to decrease
the amount of
emissions. In many
cases, source
control is also a
more cost-efficient
approach to
protecting indoor
air quality than
increasing
ventilation because
increasing
ventilation can
increase energy
costs.
Ventilation
Improvements
Another approach
to lowering the
concentrations of
indoor air
pollutants in your
home is to increase
the amount of
outdoor air coming
indoors. Most home
heating and cooling
systems, including
forced air heating
systems, do not
mechanically bring
fresh air into the
house. Opening
windows and doors,
operating window or
attic fans, when the
weather permits, or
running a window air
conditioner with the
vent control open
increases the
outdoor ventilation
rate. Local bathroom
or kitchen fans that
exhaust outdoors
remove contaminants
directly from the
room where the fan
is located and also
increase the outdoor
air ventilation
rate.
It is particularly
important to take as
many of these steps
as possible while
you are involved in
short-term
activities that can
generate high levels
of pollutants - for
example, painting,
paint stripping,
heating with
kerosene heaters,
cooking, or engaging
in maintenance and
hobby activities
such as welding,
soldering, or
sanding. You might
also choose to do
some of these
activities outdoors,
if you can and if
weather permits.
Air Cleaners
There are many
types and sizes of
air cleaners on the
market, ranging from
relatively
inexpensive
table-top models to
sophisticated and
expensive
whole-house systems.
Some air cleaners
are highly effective
at particle removal,
while others,
including most
table-top models,
are much less so.
Air cleaners are
generally not
designed to remove
gaseous pollutants.
The effectiveness of
an air cleaner
depends on how well
it collects
pollutants from
indoor air
(expressed as a
percentage
efficiency rate) and
how much air it
draws through the
cleaning or
filtering element
(expressed in cubic
feet per minute). A
very efficient
collector with a low
air-circulation rate
will not be
effective, nor will
a cleaner with a
high air-circulation
rate but a less
efficient collector.
The long-term
performance of any
air cleaner depends
on maintaining it
according to the
manufacturer's
directions.
Another important
factor in
determining the
effectiveness of an
air cleaner is the
strength of the
pollutant source.
Table-top air
cleaners, in
particular, may not
remove satisfactory
amounts of
pollutants from
strong nearby
sources. People with
a sensitivity to
particular sources
may find that air
cleaners are helpful
only in conjunction
with concerted
efforts to remove
the source.
Over the past few
years, there has
been some publicity
suggesting that
houseplants have
been shown to reduce
levels of some
chemicals in
laboratory
experiments. There
is currently no
evidence, however,
that a reasonable
number of
houseplants remove
significant
quantities of
pollutants in homes
and offices. Indoor
houseplants should
not be over-watered
because overly damp
soil may promote the
growth of
microorganisms which
can affect allergic
individuals.
At present, EPA does
not recommend using
air cleaners to
reduce levels of
radon and its decay
products. The
effectiveness of
these devices is
uncertain because
they only partially
remove the radon
decay products and
do not diminish the
amount of radon
entering the home.
EPA plans to do
additional research
on whether air
cleaners are, or
could become, a
reliable means of
reducing the health
risk from radon.
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