FAQ

Improving the air quality in your home can feel complicated because bad air can come from many different sources. These can include common allergens like dust and pet dander, pollutants released from cooking or cleaning products, invisible chemicals (VOCs) from furniture and building materials, and simply not having enough fresh air circulating. Since there are so many potential causes, truly making your indoor air healthier requires a personalized approach to figure out exactly what's affecting your home. This might involve identifying specific problems, stopping them at the source, bringing in more fresh air, or even using air purifiers. Ready to get a clearer picture of your home's air and find the right solutions? Talk to an expert like IAQ Genie for a personalized plan!

For those with respiratory issues like asthma, the air quality in their home is vital for their well-being. IAQ Genie helps create a healthier indoor environment through a thorough IAQ evaluation and provides targeted solutions such as duct cleaning. An evaluation pinpoints common asthma triggers such as dust mites, pet dander, mold, VOCs, and airborne particles, along with issues like poor ventilation and high humidity.

Once we identify these triggers, professional duct cleaning becomes a powerful solution. Over time, your home's ductwork accumulates a significant amount of dust, allergens, mold spores, and other irritants. Every time your heating or cooling system runs, these contaminants are blown into your living space, directly impacting those with sensitive airways.

Duct cleaning by IAQ Genie significantly reduces the allergen load by removing these built-up irritants. This means fewer asthma triggers circulating in your air and improved breathing comfort. It also helps prevent and remove mold from ducts, improves your HVAC system's airflow and filtration efficiency, and eliminates stale odors. Ultimately, an IAQ evaluation combined with solutions like duct cleaning provides a comprehensive approach to creating a much cleaner, healthier, and more comfortable home environment for anyone managing asthma or other respiratory conditions.

Basements typically develop mold growth for one of 2 reasons, either unmanaged humidity &/or water damage.

First you must determine what's caused the moisture that's lead to the mold growth, and produce a plan to resolve it so it doesn't continue in the future. That could be as simple as installing a dehumidifier, and as complex as adding a sump pump &/or outdoor drain tile to route water away from your basement. Next you must sort through belongings to determine what can be cleaned & saved, and what can not. If there's anything structural that has visible growth it'll require removal & proper cleaning. It's an extremely complex issue that would be better handled by the professionals at IAQ genie.

When someone smokes indoors, the chemicals and particles from the cigarette smoke don't just disappear into the air. Instead, they settle on virtually every surface in the home – walls, ceilings, carpets, furniture, drapes, even hard surfaces like countertops and appliances. This residue, a sticky mix of nicotine, tar, and thousands of other chemicals (including known carcinogens), becomes embedded in these materials. 

Over time, this smoke can cause noticeable damage. Walls and ceilings may develop a yellowish-brown stain from the nicotine and tar. The persistent, stale odor of smoke permeates everything, making the home smell unpleasant even long after smoking has ceased. This residue can also accumulate in HVAC systems and air filters, potentially impacting their efficiency and requiring more frequent cleaning or replacement. 

Removing cigarette smoke is incredibly challenging and time consuming. Simple cleaning methods are usually not enough. Proper remediation often requires extensive cleaning of all surfaces with specialized products, removal of carpets, drapes, and depending on severity sometimes even drywall & insulation. A thorough cleaning of the HVAC system is required to truly eliminate the lingering odors. 

If you're constantly finding a fresh layer of dust on your surfaces, even after just cleaning, your home's HVAC duct system is likely the culprit. Over time, these hidden pathways accumulate a surprising amount of dust, dirt, pet dander, and other airborne particles. Every time your heating or air conditioning turns on, it blows this accumulated debris out of your vents and into your living spaces. This constant circulation is why dusting can feel like a never-ending chore.

This isn't just an annoyance; these airborne particles don't just settle on your furniture. They also remain suspended in the air you breathe, which can worsen allergies, asthma, and other respiratory sensitivities.

That's where IAQ Genie's professional duct cleaning service comes in. We don't just clean what you can see. Our specialized equipment and trained technicians thoroughly clean your entire duct system, effectively dislodging and removing this stubborn, embedded dust and debris directly from the source. By doing this, we prevent the dust from ever being distributed into your home's air. 

The result? A noticeable reduction in airborne particles, significantly less dust accumulating on your surfaces, and a cleaner, healthier, and more comfortable home environment for you and your family.

How often your duct system is cleaned is a complex question due to all of the potential variables. But we will try to address it:

If you've never had your duct system cleaned, it's a good idea to have it cleaned.
If you've recently had any sort of remodeling or construction, it's advisable to have the system cleaned afterwards.
If you open an air register & are able to  visibly inspect the system & a lot of dust & debris is visible, it's a good idea to have it cleaned.
If you've discovered mold growth anywhere in the home or in the duct system, it's a good idea to have the system inspected & cleaned.
Two people with no children or pets, will need their duct system cleaned less often than a family with children and pets.
Families with individuals with compromised immune systems or respiratory issues will likely benefit from having their air system cleaned more frequently. 

Carpet cleaning significantly impacts our indoor air quality (IAQ) because our carpets act like giant air filters, trapping all sorts of pollutants as they settle out of the air. This includes common allergens such as dust, dust mites, pet dander, and pollen, along with mold spores, bacteria, and even chemicals. While carpets temporarily hold these particles out of the air, they eventually become overwhelmed. Foot traffic, vacuuming, or even just general air movement can then release these otherwise embedded contaminants back into the air where they can be easily inhaled.

Professional carpet cleaning, especially methods like hot water extraction (often called "steam cleaning"), deeply cleans the carpet fibers. Unlike regular vacuuming, which only gets surface debris, professional equipment uses powerful suction, high water temperatures, and specialized cleaning solutions to dislodge and remove deeply trapped dirt, allergens, and microbes. This process dramatically reduces the amount of airborne irritants circulating throughout your home or business. By effectively removing these triggers, carpet cleaning can noticeably improve your IAQ, leading to fewer allergy and asthma symptoms, better respiratory health, and a fresher-smelling space. It's a vital step in maintaining a healthier indoor environment, particularly for anyone with sensitivities.

It's worth mentioning that carpet cleaners that leave the carpet wet for more than 4-5 hours can actually contribute to the poor indoor air quality, versus helping.

It really sounds like your home has a secret, problem: poor indoor air quality (IAQ). That feeling of relief when you leave is a huge clue that something inside—maybe some sneaky, hidden mold, or simply dusty air due to dirty HVAC ducts—is constantly bugging your sinuses and triggering your allergies. The only way to stop guessing and get real relief is to call in a professional for an IAQ assessment (like what an "IAQ Genie" does!). They'll use their tools & even air sampling to pinpoint the exact culprit, whether it's mold spores, or high VOCs. Once you have those clear results, you can move forward with the right steps, whether that means something as extensive as a mold remediation or a maybe just a quick air duct cleaning to finally get clean air and enjoy being home again! 

When you're having any construction in your home or business, it's smart to prioritize indoor air quality (IAQ). The best approach will vary depending on the type and extent of the work being done.

For effective dust and pollutant control, request that your contractor uses Air Filtration Devices (AFDs) with HEPA filters to remove particulate dust that's generated, adding dehumidifiers to control humidity, &/or building sturdy containment barriers to isolate work zones from non-work areas. These strategies not only keep the mess contained, but also make cleanup a lot easier. If your project involves removing &/or installing drywall or plaster, it's highly recommended to have your property's duct system cleaned. This prevents occupants from breathing in harmful particulate matter years after the project is complete.

You might notice dark spots, that are often signs of mold growth, on the north-facing slope of your roof deck. This typically happens because that side of the roof stays in the shade, which allows moisture to linger. The south-facing slope on the other hand, getting direct sunlight, tends to dry out more quickly, pushing any moisture toward the cooler, north-facing side of the roof.

The first essential step in addressing this is to find & stop the source of moisture in the attic. You must ensure that your attic is properly ventilated. This means checking that your bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans are correctly routed to the outside of your home, & not just exhausting into the attic. You should also verify that your attic has an unobstructed natural airflow from the eave vents (at the lower edge of the roof) to the ridge vent (at the very top). These eave vents are often obstructed by insulation blocking this path of air.

Once the source of the moisture is resolved, you'll need a mold remediation to remove the staining. This process usually involves setting up some containment barriers around the affected area, using air filtration equipment, and removing any contaminated insulation. A powerful yet safe mold stain cleaner is then used to remove visible mold growth from the roof deck. Finally, all surfaces are thoroughly vacuumed and wet-cleaned before new insulation is installed.

Bringing fresh outdoor air into your home is key to great IAQ. This helps manage things like pollutants, odors, and even excessive temperature and humidity. Basically, the more fresh air you bring in, the better the air quality will be for you and your family.

The speed at which outdoor air replaces the air inside your home is called the air exchange rate. According to ASHRAE (a leading expert in air quality and ventilation), homes should aim for a minimum of 0.35 air changes per hour. This means that about a third of the air in your home should be replaced with fresh outdoor air every hour. Additionally, they recommend at least 15 cubic feet of air per minute (cfm) per person to ensure everyone has enough fresh air.

Beyond general ventilation, ASHRAE also suggests using intermittent exhaust fans in kitchens and bathrooms. These are great for quickly removing pollutants and excess moisture that build up in these areas. If you live in a tightly built home that doesn't naturally let in much air, you might need supplemental ventilation for fuel-burning appliances like fireplaces. This ensures these appliances have enough fresh air to operate safely and effectively.