To be honest, most of us face this trouble. Many of us feel that our indoor air stinks – and in fact it really does at times. To add to it, the climate all over Dubai only makes things worse. Many regions have this stale and foul smell that pollutes the indoor air in our homes, thus leading to serious health issues.
As compared to outdoor air, indoor air quality is more polluted.
Considering the fact that most people spend about 90% of their lives indoors, this is indeed a serious issue. This can get more appalling considering the toxicity level of outdoor air. Besides making the surroundings unpleasant, poor indoor air quality can lead to serious health crisis. For example, the risk of cancer is escalated.
People generally conclude that the cause of the consistent bad stink in their homes is probably due to toxic items and other items like vinyl products, wooden or particleboard furniture that emit VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). While this may be true, it is not always the case, especially if you are always conscious that you do not purchase any toxic item. At times, people also conclude that the bad smell is probably due to appliances such as furnaces, gas ranges and water heaters. This is true in most cases.
In fact, gas cooktops or cookers emit toxic hazardous gases like nitrogen dioxide and others. These cause neurological disorders in children. Combustion appliances and toxic materials only make indoor air quality worse. Always try to make conscious choices before purchasing such appliances. However, there is another culprit that is actually worse in terms of air quality indoors, i.e. poor ventilation.
Fresh air gets into buildings through openings or what you’d call “air leaks”. These are usually openings like wall cavities, attics, ducts or crawl spaces. However, the “freshness” of the air coming in depends on how clean those leak openings are.
When was the last time you cleaned the air ducts or crawl spaces in your home? Generally, our homes are under negative pressure. The air gets sucked out through outlets like exhaust fans or stove hoods, which don’t really help get rid of polluted air completely. This is one of the major reasons why air-conditioning is a necessity in Dubai. But to make sure the air in your home is well conditioned, you will need to make sure that the air-conditioning system is well cleaned.