6 Things That Cause Allergies
Posted in Mold, on May 10, 2021
As any allergy sufferer knows, even the mildest day can severely impact your quality of life. Mold inspection in Toronto can help to identify this common cause of year-round allergies. Symptoms like a runny nose and itchy, watery eyes are common to a wide range of irritants, making it challenging to know what’s causing them. Mold testing in Toronto can help you get to the bottom of unusual symptoms, strange smells, and humid spaces, making your home a safer and allergy-free place to be.
Here are six everyday things that cause allergies:
1. No Air Filter
Modern furnaces come with a slot for an air filter, and while your furnace will work without one, using and regularly changing this filter can have a positive effect on your indoor air quality, especially when it comes to mold and other allergens. The filter catches and removes harmful particles from your home environment, keeping them out of your ducts and lungs. It’s also better for your furnace — those particles can damage this expensive appliance and can drive up your heating and cooling bills.
2. Open Windows
It’s hard to keep the windows closed during the first flush of spring or a warm autumn afternoon — but when it comes to reducing the effects of allergies, keeping them shut tight can reduce pollen build-up indoors. However, fresh air is essential for good indoor air quality, so it’s still a good idea to open them regularly. Pay attention to local pollen counts and open windows when there is little to no breeze.
3. Dirty Carpets
Carpets are both a boon and a curse when it comes to indoor air quality. They’re excellent for catching and preventing allergens from reaching further into your home, but they can also trap small particles and make them difficult to remove. A regular cleaning and maintenance routine is essential for preventing allergen build-up that affects your health.
4. Not Cleaning Air Ducts
Regular maintenance for your HVAC system can help to reduce indoor allergens. Cleaning the ductwork that leads from your furnace to the other rooms in your home can also significantly affect the spread and reach of allergens. Ducts can capture and harbour mold growth, pollen, dust, dander, and other irritants, helping them cycle throughout your home. Professional duct maintenance is an easy way to clean up your indoor air environment.
5. Four-Legged Friends
Pets are a common allergen, but even if you are not affected by pet-based allergies, they can still track other allergens, pollen, and mold spores into and around your home. Cleaning or brushing your pets outdoors can help reduce the amount of dander and fur that get trapped indoors.
6. Humidity Build-up
One of the most common reasons for mold testing in Toronto is excessive indoor humidity. A humid house isn’t comfortable to live in, but it’s also one of the leading causes of mold growth. Mold needs moisture to thrive, and stagnant, humid air provides plenty of it. Installing ceiling fans to move the air and exhaust fans to whisk moist air out of the bathroom or kitchen goes a long way in preventing indoor mold growth.
Work With SafeAir to Reduce Your Allergies
Whether you’re concerned about pollen build-up or mold growth, SafeAir can help make improvements to almost everyone’s indoor air quality. These improvements may be minor, such as changing your furnace filters, or may be more involved, such as installing an exhaust fan, but each home has unique needs and challenges. These challenges are what make working with a professional indoor air quality specialist like SafeAir advantageous.
Using non-invasive air sampling and testing, we can help determine what harmful allergens are present in your home and the best solution to eliminating or reducing them. If you’re curious about mold inspection in Toronto or learning more about common household allergens, call us at 416-414-5690 to speak to a technician and book your free air quality consultation.