The holiday season is in full swing!
The holiday is when friends and families unite, travel or spend time together arranging dinners and parties at home. This means people are usually inside their homes.
You must enjoy all the festivals with your loved ones, taking care of meals, decorations, clothes and many others. To make the maximum out of your holiday season, people make to-do lists so nothing is left behind.
In all the celebration and fun, when you remember every little detail to make your holiday season a blast, you shouldn’t forget indoor air quality (IAQ). After all, you’ll spend time indoors, affecting comfort and health!
In this article, we will be discussing challenges you may face with indoor air, especially during the holiday season, sources of indoor air pollution, effects of indoor air pollution, how weather plays a role in disturbing IAQ, and how we can improve IAQ.
Holiday Indoor Air Quality Challenges
Maintaining indoor air quality is challenging during the holiday season, especially in the summer, as in Melbourne. Here are some of the most common IAQ challenges every home faces during the holiday season.
Air Borne/ Direct Contact Viruses
Contacting and meeting people means more exposure to air-borne viruses or viruses transmitted by direct contact, such as shaking hands or sharing hugs. Due to indoor crowding, the chances of catching common infections like flu, common cold, and measles are higher during the holiday.
Although the prevalence rate of tuberculosis (TB) is low, the risk remains.
One should take care if there are signs and symptoms of any viral infection and avoid attending holiday festivals to prevent the spread of diseases.
Cleaning Chemicals
The holiday season brings a lot of deep cleaning. People make their homes clean and ready for welcoming guests.
Cleaning includes washing bedding and covers, polishing floors and furniture, and cleaning upholstery with detergents, chemicals, and polishes. All these cleaning products have numerous chemicals, some of which are irritant and harmful.
One must choose eco-friendly cleaning products without irritants and flammable ingredients to ensure safety and maintain indoor air quality.
Cooking Fumes
Everyone loves the aroma of barbecue and freshly prepared food! But do you know grilled food, boiling soup and curries, burning charcoal, wood, and even electric stoves release harmful fumes that pollute indoor air?
It’s better to avoid burning wood or coal and ensure proper ventilation or use of air purifiers to maintain IAQ.
Christmas Tree Syndrome
Holiday festivals, especially Christmas, are incomplete without a Christmas tree!
Trees are a breeding ground for moulds which enter your home as you bring trees inside your home. A Christmas tree can have 53 different types of mould, which can cause an allergic reaction. Hot weather and humidity further promote mould growth, increasing the risk.
Always place the Christmas tree in a well-ventilated area for a short span.
Scented Candles And Fragrances
Who doesn’t like the warmth, sweet smell and ambience of scented candles? Fragrances are also a sweet addition to make your holiday pleasurable!
Although many reasons make you place those glittering, nice-smelling fragrances all over your place or spray fragrances, only one reason is enough to stop you. Candles and artificial fragrances expose your home to hazardous chemicals such as VOCs.
It’s better to use alternatives such as essential oils to add a pleasant smell to your home.
The holiday indoor air challenges will not affect your holiday celebrations and traditions if you switch them to a suitable alternative.
The Sources of Indoor Air Pollution
Among numerous sources of indoor air pollution, the most common ones include:
- Polluted outdoor air
- Dust and dander
- Pollens
- Cleaning products
- Tobacco smoke
- Building materials
- Ventilation systems
- Fuel-burning combustion devices
- Excess moisture
The sources of indoor air pollution also vary with the season. The holiday season in Melbourne comes during summer when the temperature is higher and more humid. This season, moisture, inadequate ventilation, mould, and paint emissions are more common causes of indoor air pollution.
Effects Of Indoor Air Pollution
Indoor or outdoor pollution has detrimental effects on living and nonliving objects. Here, we will discuss the effects of indoor air pollution.
Health Issues
Poor indoor air quality causes serious short-term and long-term effects on health. All of these health issues are serious.
Short-term Health Issues:
The short-term health issues of IAQ include headache, nausea, eye irritation, throat rashes, nasal itching and generalized fatigue.
Long-term Health Issues:
The poor indoor air quality affects the health and causes many serious long-term health issues. Here’s a complete list of effects on different body systems so you can know how detrimental it can be.
Body System | Health Problems |
Mental health |
|
Cardiovascular system |
|
Respiratory system |
|
Immune system |
|
Cognitive system |
|
Besides these systems, poor indoor air quality affects all other body systems. It causes related problems, which may become a cause for further complications along with other chronic conditions and cause morbidity or mortality.
Material Detoriation
Chemicals in Indoor Air Pollution can deteriorate any material like walls, metal surfaces, artwork, and rubber. The impact is not quick, and the discolouration, embrittlement and porosity increase slowly with exposure. Improving indoor air quality preserves the materials and increases their quality and life.
Structural Damage
Mould growth over different indoor structures is common due to indoor pollution. Dust accumulation also brings structural damage. Both mould and dust weaken the structural integrity of the building.
Effect of Weather on Indoor Air Quality
Every weather affects the indoor air quality. Let’s start with the holiday season, during summers in Melbourne!
The Summer
Summer means high temperature and humidity. It provides favourable conditions for mould to grow and more dust to enter the home. If you use an HVAC system, dust and mould can grow in the ducts and increase the amount of mould and dust coming into your home. The simple way to maintain IAQ is to get service before the season. Additionally, maintain the temperature between 30-60 Fahrenheit to restrict mould growth and get maximum comfort.
The Fall
The fall season has more moisture in the air. With decaying vegetation, mould in the atmosphere is also higher. Additionally, some flowers also produce pollens during the fall. High moisture, pollens and increased pollen affect the IAQ and cause health issues for people with sensitivities.
The Winter
The moisture level and temperature drop during winter, inhibiting mould growth, and pollens and spores also enter dormancy. The dry season dries out mucus membranes and irritates the eyes, nose and throat. Indoor air dries faster as people use heating systems that trap more respiratory tract infections, increasing the indoor infection rate.
The Spring
The temperature rises from 18 degrees to 22 degrees during the spring season, making it the most favourable for flowers to germinate their pollens and seeds. With rising humidity, molds also start growing. Spring breeze accompanies dust into the house. Pollens, molds, and dust enter the house, polluting the indoor air and causing allergies.
How Do You Maintain Indoor Air Quality During The Holiday Season?
The IAQ mainly depends on the source of pollution and seasonal variations. Here are some important steps to maintain IAQ during the holiday season.
- Control the sources of indoor air pollution.
- Use an exhaust fan in the bathroom and kitchen to reduce humidity.
- Ensure proper ventilation.
- Keep indoor space neat and clean. Dust air and vacuum regularly so dust doesn’t accumulate.
- Use eco-friendly cleaning products and pesticides.
- Use low-impact decorations for the holiday season.
- Avoid using aerosol-based sprays.
- Clean air ducts and maintain your HVAC system regularly.
- Use an air purifier to clean the indoor air.
Euromate Pure Air is your best companion to relieve you from the additional hassle of checking air quality during the holiday hustles. They provide technically advanced air purifiers for residential and commercial settings that eliminate bacteria, viruses, dust particles, allergens, and harmful gases that most air purifiers can’t. Don’t forget to add Eurmate Pure Air’s air purifier to your space while preparing for this holiday season. Contact Euromate Pure Air today to get your air purifier right in time!
Conclusion:
Indoor air quality directly impacts health, as well as indoor materials and structures. During the holiday season, when there are festive celebrations, the indoor air quality becomes more susceptible to pollution.
Weather also contributes to worsening the indoor air quality. You must identify the causes of indoor air pollution and take appropriate measures to maintain indoor air quality during the holiday season. Maintaining the IAQ ensures everyone remains happy and healthy!
