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Category: Indoor Air Quality

Spring Cleaning

5 Tips to Supercharge Your Spring Cleaning During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Ahh, spring cleaning. The annual ritual of decluttering, deep scrubbing, and elbow grease. A quick internet search will yield hundreds of housekeeping lists for this once-a-year event. But since we’re all sheltering in place with COVID-19, you may have extra time and extra motivation to spruce up your home and take your cleaning to the next level. Here are five ways to supercharge your spring cleaning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Disinfect and Clean Food Storage Areas Hidden in plain sight, the place you keep your everyday food and ingredients is a must-hit on your spring cleaning list. After all, you probably handle something in these areas multiple times a day.  Nearly every deep-cleaning list will include your refrigerator and freezer. But don’t leave out your pantry, cabinet, or shelving that stores your dry ingredients. An extra bit of cereal or dusting of flour are concealed by the dark corners in a pantry. Exposed food – even in negligible quantities – can entice bugs or pests.  Remove everything from your pantry’s shelves. Start with the obvious: throw away expired items or anything that has seen better days. Clean off any jars with leaks down the sides. Wipe down the shelves in

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May 1, 2020 No Comments
Indoor humidity levels

Ideal Humidity Levels to Avoid Getting Sick

When you think about the ways you can contract a virus, what comes to mind? For many people, it’s the things we touch. Light switches, door knobs, railings, and other surfaces. Homeowners around Los Angeles are working hard to keep items we touch sanitized (including us!). But preventing illness requires more than just hand sanitizer. Research shows that the humidity levels inside your house can play a big role in your health. Is Indoor Humidity Even a Problem in Los Angeles? We know what you’re thinking: “Come on. Los Angeles is practically a dessert! I don’t need to be worried about humidity.” A lot of homeowners say this, and they are partially right: Los Angeles can be extremely dry. Here in Southern California we do not face some of the same problems as our friends in South Florida where excessive humidity can cause the growth of mold and a clammy, uncomfortable home.  But there is still a concern about humidity: not having enough. Believe it or not, low humidity levels can cause several problems. First, low humidity levels can create uncomfortable conditions inside your home. But recent research shows that a lack of moisture can increase the likelihood of transmission

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May 20, 2020 No Comments
indoor air quality

Ensure Great Indoor Air Quality During Wildfire Season

Southern California is a beautiful place to live – we certainly love it here! But unfortunately, wildfires are part of the not-so-fun reality of residing in the area. Wildfires can make outdoor air unhealthy to breathe, which means that ensuring great indoor air quality (IAQ) is crucial for homeowners in the San Fernando Valley and surrounding areas. Why Does a Wildfire Have Any Affect on Indoor Air Quality? To put it simply, your home is not sealed off from the outside world. The air from the outside can make its way inside your home. So if the outside air quality is poor, it can create poor indoor air quality too. Outdoor air can make its way inside your home in a few ways:  Source: EPA Depending on how close your home is to an active wildfire and the density of the smoke, your IAQ will fluctuate alongside outside air quality fluctuations. How To Protect My Indoor Air Quality During Wildfires Take action now to protect the health of your family during California’s wildfire season. Here are our recommendations: Take Action Now to Ensure Great IAQ During California’s Wildfires Long-time Los Angeles residents will tell you: wildfire season is no joke.

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July 8, 2021 No Comments
Indoor Air Quality and Covid

Everything We Know About COVID and Indoor Air Quality

Since Spring 2020, the world has been dealing with COVID-19. We now know that COVID spreads via aerosol, and more homeowners in Los Angeles understand the meaning of the term Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). But we’re all learning as we go here, including scientists and researchers. In our quest to continue learning about the industry and how to best protect our team and customers, we’ve reviewed the latest research and recommendations on the topic of Covid and IAQ. Here’s what we’ve learned:  There’s No Silver Bullet: Use Many Methods to Improve IAQ Recent research from the Central Building Research Institute indicates that there is no one, perfect solution for improving IAQ. Instead, the best course of action to improve indoor air quality is using many different methods. Most Los Angeles residents are already familiar with the baseline recommendations. Wearing facemasks, social distancing, and limiting large gatherings are the best ways to keep things safe inside most buildings. One challenge with these recommendations is that it requires every individual to choose to comply. In other words, the quality of everyone’s IAQ depends on… everyone!   There are ways to promote great IAQ, regardless of individual choices. These are called “engineering controls” –

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September 20, 2021 No Comments

What is a Hepa Filter?

HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air. HEPA filters are advanced filters that create cleaner air than traditional air filters. These air filters are tested and approved by The Institute of Environmental Sciences and must trap 99.97% of particulates 0.3 microns or larger in order to be categorized as a HEPA filter. Benefits of a HEPA Filter HEPA filters draw air through them to trap pollutants such as dust, dirt, pet dander, and other harmful particles and pollutants. By installing a HEPA air filter in your home’s heating and cooling system, you’ll trap all the harmful particles that could trigger or worsen asthma or allergy symptoms. Improve Your Indoor Air Quality Switching to HEPA filters in your home is one way to improve your indoor air quality, but it’s not the only way. Change your air filters How often you use your heating and cooling system will determine how often you should change it out, but as a general rule of thumb, you want to change your filter every 30-90 days so that air can filter through unhindered by the dirt, dust, and other particles the filter has picked up. Bring the outdoors inside Keeping plants in your home can

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August 6, 2019 No Comments

The Importance of Regular HVAC Maintenance

Your HVAC is an important part of your home. Keeping your house warm in the winter and cool in the summer is a vital part of keeping your family happy and healthy—and a happy and healthy family means less stress for you. Like any vital appliance in your home, your HVAC system requires regular maintenance in order for it to continue running at full capacity. If you see or hear signs of heater damage such as strange noises, foul odors, or your HVAC not heating and/or cooling properly, you probably need a repair or replacement for your unit. However, regularly scheduled, preventative maintenance can prolong your HVAC’s life and keep you from having to worry about the repair or replace argument for a while. Lower Your Bills When your heater or air conditioner has to work harder to heat or cool your home, you’re spending extra money to power the unit for longer periods of time. Dust and dirt can build up inside your system and can prevent air flow from efficiently and effectively reaching all the areas of your home. When your heater and air conditioner has been properly maintained and cleaned regularly, the unit has less work to

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January 15, 2019 No Comments

Should I Get My Home’s Air Ducts Cleaned?

In recent years, many companies have begun to offer air duct cleaning as a part of the overall cleaning program. This increased interest in duct cleaning brings up a simple question: is it beneficial to get a home’s air ducts cleaned? The short answer is yes. Coastal areas like the San Fernando Valley have plenty of wind stirring up dust, dirt, and other debris. This paired with the fact that our hot weather puts a higher demand on HVAC systems makes clean, efficient operation very important. Here are several reasons why our clients have found it helpful to get their air ducts cleaned, and why you will too. System efficiency: Dust in the air ducts will impede air flow and congest the air-handling unit, leading to excessive energy use and unnecessary wear on system components. Cleaning the ducts will reduce the resistance encountered by the system’s fan. Occupant health: Dust is a notorious source of allergy problems. The dust itself and the mold that can grow in it can be very irritating to building occupants. Duct cleaning makes the home healthier. Home cleanliness: If you’ve ever thought that your home was getting dusty unusually quickly after you cleaned, you probably have dust buildup

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January 25, 2019 No Comments

3 Reasons Why You Need Proper Ventilation in Your Home

You walk into a room and are immediately assaulted with the musty, stale odor of stagnant air. In cases like this, it is easy to see—or, rather, smell—how improper ventilation can create an air quality issue. The problem of inadequate ventilation has increased in recent years. In pursuit of energy efficiency, many modern homes are designed to be airtight, trapping pollutants and allergens. As a result, these homes are chocked off from much-needed fresh outside air. Here are three reasons to ensure proper ventilation in your home. Volatile Organic Compounds These dangerous chemicals are emitted from thousands of everyday building materials, cleaners, and furniture into your home. They can lead to serious health concerns marked by respiratory issues, headaches, and neurological symptoms. Since it is nearly impossible to avoid VOCs in your home, the best way to prevent the buildup of the gasses is to provide proper ventilation. Moisture and Mold Without proper ventilation, a house can quickly suffer from too much moisture in the air. This is especially true in hot, humid climates where moisture is prevalent. The Department of Energy ranks air movement as the most efficient method of conducting moisture. Odors and Allergens Odors and allergens such as dust

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September 13, 2019 No Comments
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