Improving indoor air quality is an important step towards allergy relief.
It happens every year: allergy season arrives and makes millions of people itchy, sneezy, and watery-eyed. And for many people, their symptoms don’t improve when they stay inside. Many of these people rent or spend much of their time at work, so they’re dependent on the property manager or landlord of their home or workplace to make sure the building has good indoor air quality. If you’re a landlord or a property manager, consider these ways that you can reduce allergens and create a better environment for those who live or work in your building. It’s the least you can do for the people who pay you rent. Here are the top 5 ways you can ensure allergy relief and good air quality for your tenants:
1. Ensure allergens are not accumulating in the environment.
This is just basic cleaning and maintenance. When indoor surfaces are regularly swept, vacuumed, and dusted, there is a much smaller chance of allergens accumulating. Especially if it’s allergy season, it’s always a good idea to pay special attention to cleaning entry areas to prevent allergens being tracked throughout the building every time someone enters.
2. Provide steady ventilation.
When a building is well ventilated, there’s a constant circulation of air throughout the building. Fresh air from the outside will replace the stale indoor air and the allergens it may contain. It’s well known that indoor air, when not properly ventilated, is extremely polluted—even more so than outdoor city air! Use fans, especially in high-moisture areas like bathrooms and laundry rooms. In order to make sure you’re not pulling in pollutants and allergens when you’re ventilating the building, read on to the next step.
3. Change out the air filters & replace them with better ones.
Proper ventilation cannot be successful without clean and safe air filters. The filters trap pollen, dust, mold, and other potential allergens and contaminants. Monthly changes are best, especially during allergy season. In face, some buildings need their filters changed even more often. And not all filters are created equal—some filters are higher quality and are better designed to trap the tiny particles that can cause allergy issues for many people. Check the filter’s MERV rating and make sure that it’s efficient enough at capturing particles, while at the same time being compatible with the building’s HVAC system.
4. Clean the entire HVAC system.
Both the indoor and outdoor parts of an HVAC system need regular cleaning, as a lot of dust and pollen can accumulate in the various nooks and crannies. Outside, things like sticks, leaves, grass, and dirt can accumulate. Inside, there’s often dust in the ductwork, vents, return registers, and other components.
5. Install air cleaners or purifiers.
If air quality is very important in your building, or if you have a lot of trouble using the usual methods, an air cleaner or purifier can be a good investment. You may not need to purchase the most expensive type, but a good, budget air purifier can go a long way in cleaning and filtering your building’s air.
Hopefully, once you’ve employed some of these practices, your tenants will have a much more pleasant allergy season ahead!
Contact CMC Corporate Solutions to make sure you are provide the best indoor air quality you can.