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How healthy is the air in your home?

You may take the air you breathe for granted – until it starts working against you. Air quality is important no matter where you are. And while you may not be able to completely control your air quality at work, your home is another matter. Here are a few signs the air in your house is less than ideal, and needs looking into.

Signs of unhealthy air in the home:

• Health symptoms that seem to get better when you leave the house

• Living with a smoker

• Mold or mildew (if you can’t see it, you might just detect a damp, musky odor)

• Air humidity above 50 percent on a regular basis

• Standing water left for long periods

• Water leaks left unattended

• Poorly vented fuel-burning devices (stoves, water heaters, fireplaces, et cetera)

• Fuel-burning devices that aren’t regularly cleaned or serviced

• Household chemicals, paints or solvents that are stored in the house, or in an attached garage

• New furniture, carpet, rugs or paint jobs

• Overuse of air-freshening chemicals or sprays

• Organic garbage that is not removed from the home on a regular basis

• Pesticides used close to the home or beneath open windows

It may take a little detective work, but the sooner you find the source of your home-related air problem, the sooner you’ll breathe easier!