Pet owners living in Hillsborough, NJ, know just how important it is to maintain a healthy home, especially when it comes to your home’s indoor air quality (IAQ). Understanding how pets can impact your home’s IAQ and what to do to prevent a negative impact is essential to improving the overall quality of life of everyone in your household.
Pet Dander
Pet dander is a leading contributor when it comes to irritants in the home and the home’s overall IAQ. Because pets come with microscopic skin particles that can irritate our noses, skin, and eyes, it is challenging to remove them entirely from the home.
One of the best ways to minimize the accumulation of allergens in the home is to ensure you regularly groom and bathe your pets. Washing any linen, bedding, or fabric-based materials your pet uses weekly is also recommended, especially if you or someone in the home is allergic to animals or has another respiratory response when around them, such as an asthma attack.
Urine
At times, your pet will likely have an accident in the home. However, leaving the urine and not immediately cleaning the area leads to an accumulation of ammonia, which evaporates and releases toxins in the air.
In these instances, pet urine may trigger respiratory issues in those who are already predisposed to asthma, allergies, or even those with weakened immune systems or autoimmune disorders. When eliminating your pet’s urine from home, ensuring proper ventilation is imperative to minimize the risk of inhaling harsh chemicals or compounds that trigger asthmatic, respiratory, or even neurological responses.
Accumulation of Pet Hair
Unfortunately, if your pet sheds, they are likely contributing to the decrease in your home’s overall IAQ. Pet hair attaches itself to clothing, bedding, and even couches and chairs, depending on the type of fabric in place. In addition to being an unsightly mess, pet hair also attracts the growth of moisture and bacteria, which leads to even more significant issues over time.
Clean pet hair daily using pet rollers, tape, and other hair removers. Vacuum and wash flooring at least once a week to prevent pet hair and dander from accumulating anywhere throughout your home.
Dust Mites
While dust mites are common in many homes, especially as more dust accumulates, it is important to keep in mind that pet hair and dander also attract dust mites. Dust mites fall under the classification of microscopic arachnids and thrive in areas that are covered in dust, skin particles, and allergens. Unfortunately, exposure to the dust mites’ waste triggers a range of reactions and potential side effects in humans.
Because dust mites typically contain allergenic proteins, these lead to respiratory responses once inhaled. Responses to allergenic proteins found in dust mites also have the potential to impact both humans and pets alike.
Ongoing HVAC Maintenance Services
Seeking an HVAC company that provides professional HVAC maintenance service agreements is highly recommended for all pet owners who own homes. Ongoing maintenance will ensure clean filters, minimal clogging from hair and allergens and improved airflow throughout the entire home.
A maintenance service agreement will make it much easier to tend to and address issues that are commonplace with the type of HVAC unit, ventilation, or duct system you have in place. Reliable service agents enable you to maintain your peace of mind all year long.
Learning about the ways that pets impact IAQ in homes in New Jersey is essential as a homeowner. In order to help you improve your IAQ, we offer professional duct cleaning services, air scrubbers, and humidifiers. With the assistance of our professional technicians at Griffith Energy Services, you can maintain your property’s optimal indoor air quality level in Hillsborough, NJ, while making sure that your precious pets have a safe and healthy home at all times.
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