Can Cleaning Improve Indoor Air Quality? – Part 5
Cleaning can play a role in maintaining the indoor environment, particularly when it comes to dust and other material that accumulates on floors, furniture, fabrics, and household surfaces. But cleaning isn’t a solution for every indoor air-quality problem.
In Part 5 of our Indoor Air Quality Guide, we’ll look at what cleaning can, and cannot do. Whether a clean home can still have poor indoor air quality, and how humidity, air purifiers, and outdoor conditions fit into the larger picture.
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INDOOR AIR QUALITY GUIDE · PART 5 OF 7
← Part 4: Testing & Improving IAQ | Start at Part 1 | Part 6: IAQ Around the Home →
Cleaning can help reduce the buildup of certain particles and biological materials that settle on surfaces, but it cannot solve every indoor air-quality problem.
Household dust can contain pollen, pet dander, mold spores, dust-mite material, and other biological contaminants. Routine cleaning can help reduce the reservoirs where some of this material accumulates.
Practical measures can include:
- damp dusting instead of simply redistributing dry dust;
- appropriately vacuuming carpets and upholstered furniture;
- maintaining floors;
- washing bedding;
- cleaning areas where pet hair and dander accumulate;
- keeping frequently overlooked surfaces from accumulating heavy dust; and
- properly removing renovation dust after construction work.
What ordinary cleaning cannot fix
House cleaning does not correct:
- radon;
- carbon monoxide;
- malfunctioning combustion appliances;
- inadequate mechanical ventilation;
- active water intrusion;
- significant mold contamination;
- asbestos hazards;
- lead hazards; or
- defective HVAC systems.
Those conditions require the appropriate corrective action or qualified professional.
Read next: Does Cleaning Improve Indoor Air Quality?
Can a Clean House Still Have Poor Indoor Air Quality?
Absolutely.
A home can look spotless while still having an indoor environmental problem.
Radon is invisible. Carbon monoxide can’t be safely detected by smell. VOCs can originate from products and materials. Outdoor pollution can enter an otherwise clean home. A ventilation or combustion problem isn’t corrected simply by wiping surfaces.
Conversely, a dusty house doesn’t automatically mean every measurement of its indoor air is hazardous.
That’s why cleanliness and indoor air quality overlap, but they aren’t the same thing.
Professional cleaning can help maintain the physical environment and reduce some accumulated material. It shouldn’t be represented as a substitute for ventilation, filtration, environmental testing, HVAC service, remediation, or other specialized measures when those are needed.
How Does Humidity Affect Indoor Air Quality?
Humidity influences moisture conditions inside a building.
Excessive humidity can encourage mold, dust mites, and other biological contaminants. Condensation on windows, walls, or pipes can be a warning that moisture conditions need attention.
EPA generally recommends an indoor relative humidity of approximately 30–50%, with humidity kept below 60%.
Humidity can be managed through a combination of:
- correcting leaks and water intrusion;
- appropriate ventilation;
- kitchen and bathroom exhaust;
- venting clothes dryers outdoors;
- air conditioning where appropriate; and
- dehumidification when necessary.
Read next: What Should Indoor Humidity Be? [Internal link]
Do Air Purifiers Improve Indoor Air Quality?
They can, but their capabilities have limits.
Portable air cleaners and HVAC filtration can reduce some airborne pollutants. Effectiveness varies according to the type of pollutant, filtration technology, efficiency, airflow, room size, and how the equipment is operated.
An air purifier therefore shouldn’t be thought of as a replacement for eliminating pollutant sources, ventilating appropriately, controlling moisture, or maintaining the property.
Related guides: Do Air Purifiers Really Work? and Can an Air Purifier Replace Regular Cleaning? [Internal links]
Can Outdoor Air Affect Indoor Air Quality?
Yes.
Outdoor and indoor air continually interact. Outdoor particles can enter through doors, windows, cracks, and other openings.
Possible outdoor contributors include:
- pollen;
- wildfire smoke;
- vehicle exhaust;
- road dust;
- industrial emissions; and
- other particulate pollution.
Opening windows may improve ventilation when outdoor air is relatively clean, but the same action may introduce pollutants during a high-pollen or smoke event.
The appropriate strategy therefore depends partly on what is happening outside.
Want Help With the Cleaning Side of Your Home?
Sweep N Glow provides professional residential cleaning throughout Connecticut to help homeowners stay ahead of dust, pet hair, tracked-in material, and everyday buildup on household surfaces. Depending on your needs, that can include recurring cleaning or more detailed cleaning when your home needs additional attention.
Find House Cleaners in Fairfield CT →
Request a Cleaning Quote →
Continue the Indoor Air Quality Guide
Indoor air-quality challenges aren’t identical throughout a property. Bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, basements, living areas, and apartments can each introduce different conditions and sources.
Next: Part 6 – Indoor Air Quality Around the Home: Room-by-Room Challenges →