The Breathe Easy Blog

January offers a rare reprieve from pollen across most of the continental United States, but mold spores and cold-and-flu season keep indoor air quality on the radar. Here's your guide to the allergens ahead and how to stay a step ahead of them.

Have you ever thought about the air you breathe inside your home, office or school? You might think it's clean and safe when compared to the air outside, which can be polluted by vehicles, factories, or even wildfires. But here's the surprising truth: outdoor air pollution doesn't just stay outside. It can sneak indoors and become a problem for your health too. Here’s why you need to pay attention to outdoor air pollution and why it makes an impact on indoor air quality (IAQ).

Intellipure recently partnered with the American Lung Association (ALA) to help get the word out about the importance of indoor air quality (IAQ). One of the people leading that charge for the American Lung Association is Jill Heins-Nesvold.

How safe is your home? According to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) report, 8 million people die every year globally because of air pollution. Among these, 4.3 million die because of air pollution from household sources. ¹

December brings relief from pollen for most of the U.S., but dust mites, winter particulate matter, and indoor air pollutants are still worth watching. Here's what's really in the air this holiday season and what you can do about it.

As pollen season winds down across most of the United States, November brings a new set of indoor air quality challenges, from stored-clothing allergens to holiday cooking fumes. Here's your region-by-region pollen update and practical tips for keeping your indoor air clean through the holidays.

You already know that your HVAC unit has an air filter. Ideally every few months you trudge into the crawlspace or mechanical room, slide out the old nasty filter, and slide in a fresh filter. Obviously the filter is dirty so it is catching dirty things in the air. But is it actually cleaning the air of everything that could be harmful to your lungs? Just because a filter is dirty doesn't mean it is capturing everything necessary to protect your health. Don't confuse your home's HVAC filter with actual air purification.

Things you use every day around the house tend to go unnoticed over time. They just blend into the background of everyday life. But have you ever actually taken the time to read the labels on the products you buy and use? Do you know what kinds of chemicals are released into the air when you use them? You don't have to be a home chemist to have potentially dangerous chemicals in the air around you.

There's no escaping the changing of the seasons. Summer will give way to fall whether you're ready or not. Unfortunately, there's another season lurking just around the corner: cold and flu. Truthfully, cold and flu viruses are around us the entire year. But when temperatures cool, humidity drops and people stay inside more, the chance of getting sick goes up. It doesn't have to be that way, though!

September means peak ragweed season across nearly every U.S. state, with leaf mold and wildfire smoke adding to the airborne mix. Here's your region-by-region pollen breakdown and practical tips for breathing easier this fall.

As a new parent, your world revolves around your baby's health and well-being. You meticulously clean and sanitize every surface, but have you considered the air your baby breathes? Indoor air can be surprisingly polluted, carrying dust, allergens, pet dander, mold spores and even harmful chemicals. That is why an air purifier is an essential addition to your baby's nursery. Here are a few things to consider when thinking about what you want in your baby nursery…and what you definitely don't want in the air!

Mold is a type of fungi that thrives off of damp areas, especially within a home. These areas can include anywhere there is moisture - so be cautious of bathrooms, gyms, and laundry rooms. To control mold growth, you must control the moisture within the building, and make sure humidity is below 30-60% to prevent the growth of mold spores, that can actually travel through the air.

It's easy to forget about the unsung hero quietly working to clean the air your breathe – your air purifier filter. It's easy to overlook, isn't it? Your air purifier hums along quietly while diligently cleaning your home's air. Because they operate so silently and are often out of sight, it's incredibly common to forget that they need routine maintenance.

Large portions of the western United States, including parts of California, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Oregon and Washington, are under air quality alerts due to raging wildfires. Fires such as the Park Fire spanning Butte and Tehama counties in California are sending huge amounts of fine particulate matter into the air, which is then carried hundreds of miles away.

Where did summer go!? It seems like just yesterday kids were counting down the days until the end of the school year. But now the days are counting down to the inevitable first day of school. All that time spent outdoors over the summer will soon transition to hours spent inside the classroom. That means increased exposure to all kinds of indoor air-based health problems.