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How to improve the air quality in your home

Experts say mold spores, germs can cause breathing issues

From smoke and pollution to germs and allergens, many of us have a vested interest in improving the air quality in our homes.

Your home should be a place where you can sit back, relax and take a deep breath.

But with rising concerns about air quality, both indoors and out, it’s important to understand what can cause problems in your air, and what you can do to help.

Angie Hicks, Co-Founder of Angie’s List says to identify the source or sources and try to control them. Whether it’s an indoor leak in your home that leads to mold, or allergens from outside your home, try to eliminate the source or minimize its pathway in. This can be the most cost-effective way to help improve your indoor air quality.

Mold, smoke and allergens can all cause air quality issues. But it’s also important to reduce what might already be circulating in your home.

Hicks says you can improve the quality of air circulating in your home by cleaning your vents and returns, especially in an older home. You should also make sure your ductwork is properly sealed to prevent contaminants from being pulled in and blown around your house.

Regular maintenance plays a key part in keeping airborne particles at a minimum. But allergens and dust aren’t the only thing to worry about, mold spores and germs can cause breathing issues too.

Hicks says consider having a UV light installed in your HVAC system, if you have air quality issues in your home. This will kill mold spores, bacteria and germs that are in the air passing through your system.


About the Authors
Max Massey headshot

Max Massey is the GMSA weekend anchor and a general assignments reporter. Max has been live at some of the biggest national stories out of Texas in recent years, including the Sutherland Springs shooting, Hurricane Harvey and the manhunt for the Austin bomber. Outside of work, Max follows politics and sports, especially Penn State, his alma mater.

Gretchen Nowroozi was born and raised in Houston. She started working at KSAT as an intern in 2019 after graduating from Michigan State University. She is a producer for Good Morning San Antonio.

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