To all our families and friends,

Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone at this time as we all come to terms with the changes to our lifestyle and the enormous human impact of this crises.

With schools and business’s closing, our homes are becoming places of education, work, play and so much more. The dynamics of our homes use and the relationship between you and your home is now much different. You may or will be spending more time indoors, cooking more, running electronics more, cleaning more than many of us have ever seen. The internal aspects of your home are now more than ever so important for every homeowner to understand. The changes to the indoor environment must be managed just as much as we manage our everyday CDC recommendations, to ensure there are no adverse reactions to the indoor air quality and health of your home.

Here are some tips as we wade through this time of change, for all to review and understand.

Ventilation

Bring Fresh Air In – Open Windows

EPA refers to the air quality of a home in relation to the health and comfort of the building occupants. As homes are being constructed with minimum infiltration from the exterior, and HVAC systems in residential homes, for the most part do not have direct outdoor air intake, homeowners have to rely on other measures such as infiltration throughout the building structure, mechanical systems, or simply opening windows and doors.

Understanding that increasing the outdoor air coming into homes, will control the levels of pollutants and odors, all of which can impact the indoor air quality, (contaminants being diluted with new outside air). Maintaining air changes within your home today therefor is essential.

While the temptation however is to keep all doors and windows closed as our temperature rises, moving to a planned strategy to crack open windows on two sides of the house will help to maintain fresh air throughout day. Two windows, one on each side of the home, can he left open a half inch to enable cross ventilation, or homeowners can open windows and doors a number of times a day to ensure proper ventilation. By allowing ample air changes, you will be maintaining the health and comfort of your home, while at the same time controlling the levels of pollutants, all of which enhance the indoor air quality for all concerned.

Turn on Your Fans

Kitchen and bathroom fans are designed to remove air to the exterior, that can cause harmful microbial or indoor air quality issues. Homeowners should be running these fans proactively for 20 minutes after each shower, after cooking, cleaning, painting, etc. to ensure the indoor air quality in your home is maintained.

Air Conditioning Filtration

Now more than ever we need to ensure our filters are changed regularly. Moreover, some filters are more effective against contaminant/pollutant filtration of the indoor air, and homeowners should consider upgrading their filters with products that are designed to catch more contaminants, such as that of the MERV 13 filter.

Chemicals and Cleaning Solutions

We are all cleaning more and more than ever before. However, homeowners need to understand that common household chemicals add to the VOC (volatile organic compound) load of your house, and the chemical burden on your body. Mixing chemicals can further escalate potential issues. Selection of your cleaning solutions should be always based on low toxicity today, and when used, turn fans on and ensure proper ventilation as outlined above.

Regular Maintenance

While the temptation for everyone is to delay maintenance, this is probably not the time for some of your jobs. Plumbing leaks can lead to air quality issues. HVAC services and cleaning can enhance the indoor comfort. Now is the time to ensure all appliances are maintained to manufacturer specifications.

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We will keep you updated on any new advances. Please email back with any questions you may have at info@chooseameripro.com.

Thank you,

Michael Rowan
President & CEO