5 Easy ways to Improve your IAQ; Indoor Air Quality
To most of us our Garage is an area of our home maybe a bigger pollutant that the out door air. Many of us store our cars, car products, and other similar items in the garage, on shelves, sucha as pesticides, glue, paint cans and other products stored over several years.
Cleaning and greening your garage is worth all the hard work. Many people don't often realize that smells originate from their stored products; a form of indoor air pollution that emits volatile organic compounds slowly over time. These fumes can cause short term and long term negative effects such as headaches, respiratory trouble, dizziness and fatigue.
Pesticides, paint, oil, fuel, running cars all have similar oil based compounds that emit fumes and are detectable in specific indoor air quality tests. If you and your family breathe in the harmful chemicals you could be putting your family at risk.
If you are in the process of buying a home, this is another reason to get a thorough home and mold inspection before you buy.
Before you move:
1. Seal Cracks and Holes - using a door skirt and sealing all holes and cracks will reduce air flow that can push the chemical odors into your home.
2. Ditch the Chemicals - Pesticides, insecticides use potent chemicals that continually off gas over time. If you plan on getting rid of them, call your local waste management company or city for proper disposal.
3. Look at your Heating Unit - some are located in the corner of your garage. Inspect this for water damage and corrosion. Be Aware, when your furnace kicks on, it's using the air found in your garage. This air, which contains off-gassing from oil, pesticides, and paint lying around, is then blown into your home.
4. Don't Run the Car -
If you run your car in the garage (perhaps to warm it up in the winter or while you're waiting for family members) even with a car door open, those exhaust fumes are going to end up in the house.
5. Dispose of Paint
If you're a homeowner, you probably have at least half a dozen partially filled paint cans sitting in your garage. If you know you'll never use that paint again, consider putting it up on Freecycle.org for someone else to use. Or, call your city to find out how to dispose of it safely.