Household Substances That Make Your Indoor Air Toxic

Your indoor air quality plays a big part in determining the health of your family. When the air you breathe is contaminated, the buildup of poisonous and harmful substances in your body can make you and your loved ones sick.

How do you know which substances in your home are actually contaminating your air? Often called volatile organic compounds of VOCs by the Environmental Protection Agency, here are some household items that when used, opened, or are simply present in your home could be affecting the air you breathe:

• paints, paint strippers, and other solvents
• wood preservatives
• aerosol sprays
• cleansers and disinfectants
• moth repellents and air fresheners
• stored fuels and automotive products
• hobby supplies
• dry-cleaned clothing
• pesticides

Other substances that could be contaminating your air include liquids and toners used in printers and copiers. Air conditioning service professionals can determine what other items could emit VOCs.

How Do These Substances Affect Your Air?

Just like water, these substances can evaporate and be present in the air. They can also give off gases and small particles when they’re used or heated, such as paints and printer toners.

What Can Happen if You Let These VOCs in a Room With Air Conditioning?

Since an air conditioner tries to maintain cool air inside a room as much as possible, you can expect that harmful VOCs can accumulate more rapidly there. Since these particles can be heavier than normal air, you can also expect them to settle.

An air conditioning service can help identify these substances and tell you how to minimize danger and remove them properly from your home.

What Are Its Effects on Your Health?

The EPA also tells citizens that having VOCs in your air can damage your health. You may experience respiratory illness, headaches, vertigo, being dizzy, eye irritation, and even memory loss. Your kidneys, lungs, nervous system, and liver could also take damage.

For Better Indoor Air Quality, Rely on Reliable Air Conditioning and Heating

You can ask an air conditioning professional like us at Reliable Air Conditioning and Heating to test your home’s air and unit to see which VOCs could be present. Call us at (818) 487-0671 or fill out our form to get started.