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Three steps to improve indoor air quality in your modern home office interior

More companies are switching to remote working for their employee’s safety. Then, California allows businesses to reopen. More safety guidelines and protocols are in place to ensure employees are in good health, which is now the number one priority since the pandemic started. One way to ensure your employee’s health is by looking after your office’s indoor air quality; the same goes for people working at home. To do that, you have to find ways to improve indoor air for a healthier modern home office interior. 

Nicolas Renard of Veolia Institute said that looking after the indoor air quality is equally essential to outdoor air quality because we stay inside a building. Research even found that indoor air pollution is more harmful than outdoor. Almost 8 million people died due to low air quality, and half of them are due to indoor air pollution. 

In this article, we will cover the list of pollutants indoor, why it matters to you, and, most importantly, the steps you can do to improve indoor air quality. 

Leading causes of a low-quality indoor air quality 

EPA identified two leading causes of air pollution: pollutants and inadequate ventilation. These are the sources of indoor pollution listed by EPA

  • Fuel-burning combustion appliances
  • Tobacco products
  • Building materials and furnishings as diverse as:
    • Deteriorated asbestos-containing insulation
    • Newly installed flooring, upholstery, or carpet
    • Cabinetry or used home office furniture made of certain pressed wood products
  • Products for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care, or hobbies
  • Central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices
  • Excess moisture
  • Outdoor sources such as:
    • Radon
    • Pesticides
    • Outdoor air pollution.

Pollutants can accumulate to the levels that may cause health and comfort problems. Thus, it is crucial for outdoor air to enter inside, which can only be done through proper ventilation. 

Indoor air quality matters to achieve a healthy modern home office interior

Indoor air pollution can be harmful to humans’ health. Its effects may be experienced after the exposure or even years later. 

Immediate effects of indoor air pollution exposure are dryness and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, skin, fatigue, shortness of breathing, allergies, coughing, sneezing, and dizziness. 

Exposure to pollutants and improper ventilation have a long-term effect on your health. Thus, such exposure can lead to respiratory diseases, namely asthma, hypersensitivity, bronchitis, and lung cancer. Other long-term effects are heart disease and premature death. 

What you can do to improve indoor air quality

  1. Clean your used home office furniture

Controlling and eliminating the source of your pollutants is very vital to healthy indoor air. One of the places where these pollutants can be found is in furniture. Cleaning your used home office furniture can be a simple step that results in a significant impact on your indoor air. 

  1. Go for air ventilation.

One thing a person can do is to lower the indoor air pollutants to bring outdoor air in. However, air heating and cooling systems do not bring fresh air into the house. That is why proper ventilation is vital in every home setting. 

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), here are ways you can do to pump up your ventilation: 

  • Opening windows and doors;
  • Operating window fans; and, 
  • Run a window air conditioner with the vent control open.

That is why proper air ventilation should be considered in every office space design for the health of all. Today, many designers are starting to feature systems that bring outdoor air into the home. 

  1. Indoor plants 

Aside from improving productivity, plants can also purify air quality. Research shows potted-plants contribute to cleaner indoor air as they can be biofilter reactors that clean VOC-contaminated air. 

However, not all plants can be considered as an air purifier. HGTV enumerated 20 plants best for cleaning indoor air here.

In Closing

Incorporating air ventilation and other strategies to combat indoor air pollution into your design is helpful, whether in a work-from-home or office setting. Solutions have a design team to ensure that your health comes first. Consult with us for modern home office interior design ideas now!