Your employees spend most of their waking hours sitting at their desks and getting work done. This means they also spend most of their days breathing the air in your workplace. As such, failing to monitor and improve your office’s indoor air quality or IAQ can negatively impact not only their comfort but also their health and well-being.
Poor office air quality can cause sick building syndrome (SBS). This refers to symptoms like allergic reactions, respiratory problems, or headaches some or all occupants experience after spending time inside a building. Furthermore, reduced IAQ can distract even your best workers, slowing them down and killing their productivity.
On the bright side, indoor air quality can be monitored, managed, and improved. These actionable tips can help you enhance your workplace’s atmosphere and, most importantly, help keep your team happy and healthy at work.
How To Improve Indoor Air Quality in the Office: 7 Practical Tips
1. Inspect and Clean Your Air Ducts
Whether or not you see signs of reduced IAQ due to dirty air ducts, it’s best to enlist regular inspection and cleaning services. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recommends the following:
- Annual ductwork inspections
- Semi-annual cleaning, lubrication, and adjustment
- Quarterly filter cleaning (or replacement as necessary)
2. Have Your Air Quality Tested Regularly
Regular indoor air testing lets you stay on top of your office’s IAQ. More importantly, it gives you the information you need to make your air quality improvement plan efficient and tailored to your environment.
Professionals can conduct air quality tests to check your office’s odors, airflow, ventilation, humidity levels, water damage, and mold growth.
3. Replace HVAC Filters Frequently
As you use your HVAC system over time, the air movement can cause dust and debris to build up behind the filters. This forces blower fans to work harder to keep air moving through your home. The resulting reduced airflow ultimately creates hot and cold spots in your office.
More importantly, clogged air filters allow many allergens and contaminants to circulate back into your indoor air. This can cause discomfort among your employees, especially those with asthma, chronic allergies, or other respiratory conditions.
Generally, you want to replace your air filters at least every year.
4. Improve Ventilation
If your office has windows, turn off your HVAC system and open them to let fresh air circulate whenever the weather allows. This allows fresh air in and stale air out.
Another practical step to improve ventilation inside your office today is to ensure your air vents are not blocked. Move furniture, cabinets, storage boxes, or chairs away from your vents to ensure they circulate air freely and keep your workplace from feeling stuffy.
5. Maintain the Ideal Indoor Humidity Level
High indoor humidity levels can cause mold, dust mites, and other allergens to grow and thrive. However, you don’t want to remove moisture entirely, or your employees may experience dry and irritated eyes, throat irritation, and sinus issues.
Keeping your office’s humidity between 30-50% using your humidifiers or dehumidifiers wisely is vital to achieving a comfortable indoor atmosphere.
6. Incorporate Office Plants into Your Interior Design
Plants make a visually pleasing addition to any workplace interior, but that’s not all. They also promote better indoor air quality by absorbing toxins and carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. This ultimately helps everyone in your office building breathe more easily.
Furthermore, there are positive feelings associated with seeing greens inside work environments. Studies show that plants can reduce mental fatigue and help boost productivity.
7. Keep Your Office Clean
Dusting, vacuuming, and cleaning all surfaces inside your office minimize the chances of allergens spreading through the air. Clearing away clutter and discarding all garbage promptly and properly also prevents nasty odors and germs from building up and making your employees uncomfortable.
That said, it’s best to stick to eco-friendly products when cleaning your workplace. These work effectively without releasing harsh chemical compounds into the air and impacting indoor air quality.
JAN-PRO Cleaning & Disinfecting Is Your Partner in Keeping Your Office Clean, Comfortable, and Healthy
Learning how to improve indoor air quality in the office is part of your responsibility as a business owner. How well you maintain your work environment directly impacts the health and well-being of your staff. Failure to reduce air pollution inside your office and improve indoor air quality can put your employees at risk of various health problems, from respiratory conditions to infections.
JAN-PRO Cleaning & Disinfecting is your reliable partner for achieving a clean and healthy office. Its certified cleaning franchisee uses modern cleaning technologies, eco-friendly cleaning agents, and rigorous quality assurance systems to reach every nook and cranny in your workplace. With their expertise and professional equipment, you can create a comfortable and inspiring environment for your employees.
Call (804) 792-3578 today to learn more about its business office cleaning services in Richmond and Charlottesville or schedule a free estimate.