Lorene Bartos: Make home's air quality suitable for living

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Most Americans spend a majority of their time indoors, especially in the fall and winter months. Knowing about the air you breathe is important. Research has found that in homes across America, the quality of indoor air can be worse than outdoor air.

Many homes are being built and remodeled tightly without regard to the factors that assure fresh and healthy indoor air.

Some of the common issues causing indoor air quality problems are:

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-- Radon, which is radioactive gas from the soil and rock beneath and around the foundation, ground water wells and some building materials.

Solution:  Test your home for radon.

-- Environmental tobacco smoke, which produces particulates, combustion products and formaldehyde.

Solution: Don’t smoke inside the home.

-- Moisture and biologicals (molds, mildew, dust mites), which come from excessive humidity levels, poorly maintained humidifiers and air conditioners, and inadequate ventilation.

Solution: Check the home for any moisture leaks and maintain humidifiers, heating and conditioning units.

-- Lead, whose sources include lead-based paint dust from removing paint by sanding, scraping and burning.

Solution: If your home was built before 1978, it may have peeling or chipping paint in window areas. Have it tested.

-- Combustion products, including carbon monoxide, whose sources include unvented fossil-fuel space heaters, unvented gas stoves and ovens and “back drafting” from furnaces and water heaters.

Solution: Install a carbon monoxide alarm in your home.

-- Asbestos is in most homes more than 30 years old. Sources include deteriorating, damaged or disturbed pipe insulation, fireproofing or acoustical material and floor tiles.

Solution: Take special care when remodeling or removing these items.

-- Household products and furnishings that are volatile organic compounds from paints, solvents, air fresheners, hobby supplies, aerosol sprays, adhesives and fabric additives used in carpeting and furniture.

Solution: Read all labels and use products according to directions and make sure there is proper ventilation when using these items. Have new carpet unrolled and aired out at the store before having it laid in your home.

Check your home for possible hazards and take precautions to keep your home healthy.

In addition, follow these suggestions to keep your home healthy:

-- Change air filters every three months.

-- Consider allergy air filters.

-- Have air ducts cleaned.

-- Dust and vacuum twice a month.

-- Make sure carbon monoxide detectors are working.

-- Open windows as much as possible.

-- Reduce use of cleaning supplies and chemical sprays.

-- Run bathroom exhaust fan while taking baths and showers.

-- Run the kitchen rangehood exhaust fan while cooking.

-- Exhaust the clothes dryer to the outside.

To have a healthy home, be aware of the things that can cause problems and take proper action to prevent illness and other problems.

Lorene Bartos is an Extension educator with Lancaster County Extension of the University of Nebraska. She can be contacted by telephone at (402) 441-7180; by mail at 444 Cherrycreek Road, Lincoln, NE 68528; or by e-mail at lbartos1@unl.edu.