Opening Your Windows This Spring Isn't Enough to Freshen Up Your Home

When the weather warms up, we can’t wait to fling open all the windows and doors to freshen up our homes. But is this really the best way to improve indoor air quality and remove airborne pollutants? In a word, no. And here’s why.

Keep Springtime Pollen Out!

For people with seasonal allergies, springtime can be a real challenge. Trees, plants, and grasses all release millions of pollen spores into the air, creating havoc for anyone with allergies. If you or someone in your home suffers from hay fever, asthma, or other respiratory conditions, think twice before opening a window to let some of that ‘fresh’ air inside.

The Dangers of Pollution from the Street

If you live close to a busy road or any industrial activity, pollutants such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and sulfur dioxide will find their way into your home via open windows and doors. It is well established that this type of pollution is a danger to our health, with links to lung cancer and an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.¹² And recent research shows pollution from vehicles increases our risk of developing conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.³

Chemicals From Cleaning Products Can Hang Around in Your Home

Now is the perfect time to spring clean your home, but this can also have a real impact on indoor air quality. Cleaning products often contain harsh chemicals and toxins that remain airborne long after use, even with the windows open. These products can also settle onto furnishings and fabrics, where they continue to emit pollutants into the air.

Spring Cleaning Creates Dust Plumes That Are Difficult to Remove

For people with allergies and asthma, bedding, such as comforters and pillows, must be washed regularly. But this creates plumes of dust and other allergens that will remain airborne for long periods unless actively removed with effective filtration.

Smoke From Wildfires Travels Thousands of Miles

If you live in an area affected by wildfires, the need to keep windows and doors closed when fires are burning is all too familiar. But last year, smoke from fires on the west coast traveled thousands of miles, affecting air quality across the US. So even if you live on the east coast, miles from the site of the fires, you could be letting dangerous pollutants into your home through an open window or door.

For Peace of Mind, Choose Austin Air

If you really can’t resist letting some of the outdoor air in this spring, try to limit it to first thing in the morning, when pollution levels are at their lowest. But remember, this is not a reliable way to remove contaminants from your home and could increase pollution levels indoors. For complete peace of mind, we recommend the Austin Air HealthMate® Plus. Using a combination of Medical Grade Certified HEPA Material and activated carbon, potassium iodide impregnated carbon and zeolite. The Austin Air HealthMate® Plus effectively removes a wide range of pollutants, including allergens, viruses, smoke, bacteria, VOCs, formaldehyde, benzenes, chemicals, gases, and odors.

Keep your home clean and safe this spring with Austin Air!

REFERENCES

¹ The Connection between Lung Cancer and Outdoor Air Pollution. (2016 June 16). American Lung Association. https://www.lung.org/blog/lung-cancer-and-pollution.

² Heart Disease, Stroke, and Outdoor Air Pollution, EPA-456/F-16-004 (2015) US EPA. https://www.airnow.gov/sites/default/files/2018-03/heartflyer.pdf.

³ Improving Air Quality Reduces Dementia Risk, Multiple Studies Suggest (2021 July 26). AAIC. https://aaic.alz.org/releases_2021/air-pollution-dementia-risk.asp.