August 12 2015

Back to School – Does It Have Clean Air?

Mrb Uncategorized air duct cleaning, healthy indoor air, nashville

It’s hard to believe that the kids are already heading back to school. Where did the summer go? Hopefully we all took full advantage of the time off. However, the thought of the kids going back made me start to wonder about the air quality in schools. We’ve discussed a lot about making sure the air quality in our homes is the best it can be. That’s great but our kids don’t spend all their time (nor do we, but that’s a discussion for another time) in our homes during the school year. They spend 6-9 hours a day inside their schools breathing that indoor air. So, is it clean? Are there standards? How can we make sure? Lots of questions. Let’s see if there are any answers.

First, I discovered that it is possibly more difficult to deal with Indoor Air Quality issues in schools because of the sheer population of each school building. There are way more people per square foot in a school building than in typical office buildings or other public buildings. This leads to more difficulty dealing with ventilation and heating and air conditioning. So, there is a need to make sure the indoor breathing atmosphere in schools is helpful and not harmful to students, teachers and staff persons.

What I have found is that there aren’t any standards/guidelines that schools must follow mandated by the EPA. However, there might very well be mandates in place according to individual states. In 2002 the EPA did survey private and public schools across the country to see just how many were implementing IAQ programs. Only 42% were. That’s less than half. That doesn’t seem good enough to me.

So, we deem from this that not enough seems to be getting accomplished. What can we do as parents? As usual, we can get involved. Ask questions. Gather information. Perhaps we will discover that our particular school is doing a fantastic job with indoor air quality, which would be great. But, if not. Below you will find a list of resources so that when you’ve gathered your information you can help get the ball rolling to improve the air quality in your student’s school. Trusting you will find this helpful.

EPA

Creating Healthy Indoor Environments in Schools
- IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit. Includes many guidance documents, including ones about inspections, maintenance, ventilation, renovation.
- Typical Indoor Air Pollutants (PDF).
Health School Environments Assessment Tool (HealthySEAT). Software tool to manage school environmental issues.
School Advanced Ventilation Engineering Software (SAVES). Free software package for architects, engineers, and school officials to determine what type of ventilation equipment is best for both health and energy efficiency; the software also has financial assessment and indoor humidity modules.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH):

Other Resources:

The American Federation of Teachers has a number of Fact Sheets on health and safety issues, including What You Should Know About Indoor Air Quality (PDF).
The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) is a membership organization. CHPS has developed a Best Practices Manual on the design, construction, and operation of a “high performance” school.
School Indoor Air Quality Best Management Practices Manual (PDF). Washington State Department of Health, (2003, November).
The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) provides useful information for school staff, school administrators, architects and engineers and parents.

Source: epa.gov

Action and Resource Guide for Healthy Schools

As always if we can help you improve your indoor air quality don’t hesitate to visit our site or give us a call.

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air duct cleaning, air filters, HEPA filters, improving indoor air quality, indoor air quality, residential air duct cleaning, Uncategorized

Love and Your Indoor Air

Well, it is the month when love is in the air. Honestly, we should always have love “in the air”. But, that is all that should be in your indoor breathing air. We should be doing our best to keep all the harmful things out of our indoor breathing air. And what could be more loving than that. How do we go about that?

First, clean often. Especially vacuuming and mopping can keep particulates from getting into your breathing atmosphere. If you use a vacuum with a HEPA filter it helps even more.

Second, take out the garbage often. The gases and odors that ruminate from the garbage can get quickly into the indoor air. Get that stuff out of there quickly.

Next, keep the surfaces in your kitchen as clean as possible. That too can affect the breathing atmosphere.

Fourth, always make sure your home is well ventilated. That may even mean opening your window even for a few minutes during the colder months.

Last, but certainly not least, change your air filters consistently. The rule of thumb is generally once a month.

All of these things will help keep your indoor air clean and fresh. And what is more loving than that!

air duct cleaning, HEPA filters, improving indoor air quality, indoor air quality, residential air duct cleaning, Uncategorized

Allergy Season – How Safe Are You Indoors?

Yep, it’s spring. Most people love spring and hate the allergies that accompany it. Many, retreat indoors thinking it’s a safer place for indoor air quality. Maybe, maybe not.

At a fairly recent conference the pollution in our indoor breathing atmosphere was definitely a hot topic. Apparently what we tend to think as a “safe haven” from pollution may not necessarily be. The coverings we put on our floors, the furniture we buy, the cleaning products we use, even what certain things are packaged in can add dangerous chemicals to our breathing atmosphere. Even what and how we cook can add unwanted particles into the air. One article even said “Even the simple act of making toast raised particle levels far higher than expected,”. Really? Making toast?

All that can seem “over the top” or alarming. No one can go change everything all at once. The idea shared and the conference was twofold. One, make small changes by paying attention to what comes into your home going forward. Two, for there to be more efforts to hold manufacturers accountable for how and with what they make their products. My thought is that we need to be personally aware and responsible for what we buy and how we use things. It’s not really rocket science it’s just a matter of stepping up and paying attention.

So, if we want to take better care of ourselves and our families in the area of better indoor air quality, let’s commit to paying attention and making wise choices. Here’s to breathing better and easier!!

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicabaron/2019/02/19/bringing-attention-to-indoor-air-pollution/#2849c2858b3c

air duct cleaning, air filters, improving indoor air quality, indoor air quality, residential air duct cleaning, Uncategorized

Spring…Almost Here. Still Need To Think Indoor Air Quality?

Honestly, I’m finding it almost unbelievable that spring is just about upon us. I love spring. I love the sun and the flowers and everything green and pretty. And then the proverbial allergies. I don’t love those. Although there is not much we can do about the allergens in the outdoor air, we can do something about our indoor air quality.

For the most part our homes have been shut up pretty tight all winter long. Unfortunately, that means dust, pollen, pet dander, and general yuck have collected in our homes. The places these things collect are in all the soft surfaces in our homes. They collect in our upholstery, carpets, nooks and crannies and in the air ducts. In order to truly start spring off fresh, all of these things needs to be cleaned. You can do all of these things yourself with the exception of the air duct cleaning. Of course, you can get help with all of it but air duct cleaning is not something you should attempt yourself. Make sure you check reviews and pay attention to the way the ducts are cleaned. It is very important.

Start spring off right. Get to all those things that need your attention and don’t forget the air ducts. Give your indoor air a fighting chance!

1 Comment

Drew
August 24, 2015 @ 6:57 pm

Clean air is something that should be expected in your child’s school. Although it may be difficult at times to makes sure the school is cool enough or free of humidity, the air should be kept up enough to be clean. Thanks so much for sharing.