Fortunately, it’s getting easier to find alternative products that don’t degrade IAQ.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's): What to Avoid
The most common sources of VOCs indoors include:
- Construction and home remodeling materials like paint, adhesives, finishes, wallpaper, flooring and furniture.
- Chemically based cleaners.
- Air fresheners, perfumed soaps and dryer sheets.
- Some plastics like shower curtains or tablecloths.
- Gas and diesel exhaust.
It is difficult to keep all VOCs out of your home, but you can look for items that carry labels indicating that they are clean air compliant or have been tested by a third-party laboratory and found to be low in VOCs.
You can also avoid VOCs by:
- Using water-based finishes, paints and adhesives that state specifically that they have no or low VOCs.
- Opting for natural cleaning products like vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol in lieu of harsh cleaning products sold in stores.
- Selecting unscented soaps and avoiding air fresheners.
- Choosing PEVA shower curtains and plastics.
- Adding weatherstripping to the connecting door of an attached garage to avoid bringing in fumes from vehicles, yard equipment or chemicals stored inside it.
- Selecting natural flooring products like bamboo, ceramic tile or hardwoods prefinished with water-based products. Look for the Carpet and Rug Institute tag if you’re going to install new carpet, and use tack strips instead of adhesives to lay it.
- Ventilating your home by using exhaust fans, opening windows, or using balanced ventilation systems in conjunction with your cooling and heating system.
- Placing ultraviolet (UV) lights in your home’s ductwork or inside the air handler. These lights alter the properties of VOCs, rendering them less harmful.
For more information to help you avoid VOCs, check out TemperaturePro Cedarburg’s indoor air quality solutions or call us at 262-510-2215.
About Temperature Milwaukee in Cedarburg:
TemperaturePro is your full-service in-home heating and cooling provider. Whether you need a new unit installed or your current unit repaired and maintained, our certified HVAC technicians can do it all. An HVAC system is an important investment that will impact your life for years to come. It’s important to protect that investment, and TemperaturePro does it better than anyone in the business. We provide quality HVAC services at a great cost!
Currently serving the following communities:
Cedarburg, Grafton, Germantown, Mequon, Menomonee Falls, West Bend, Glendale, Whitefish Bay, Shorewood, Milwaukee, Thiensville, Hubertus, Colgate, Kewaskum & Richfield.
