Removing Contaminants Can Protect Your Long-term Health

When your home is cluttered or messy, you know it’s time to clean it. But what about your indoor air quality? Because they’re invisible to the human eye, most Americans don’t realize airborne pollutants such as mold spores, viruses, bacteria, formaldehyde, and combustion gases may be floating all around and affecting the air they breathe, leading to long-term health issues, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

To help keep you protected from these microscopic threats, we’ll break down the most common indoor air pollutants, where they come from, and why they’re harmful. We’ll also show how advanced purification technology, including the revolutionary Maple Air Pür Plasma™, can remove pollutants for a cleaner, healthier environment at home.

Why Indoor Air Quality Matters

The air inside a home or building is 2-5 times or more polluted than the air outside. Since the average American spends about 90% of their time indoors, dangerous pollutants can make your home feel stuffy and directly impact your health and comfort.

Breathing in pollutants like dust, mold spores, VOCs, or bacteria can trigger headaches, fatigue, allergies, and respiratory issues. Long-term exposure may even cause more serious conditions like asthma or heart disease.

Polluted air can also affect your mind and focus. It has been shown to make it harder to concentrate, lower productivity, and leave you feeling mentally drained. Keeping your home’s air supply clean is just as important as keeping your home tidy.

Viruses in Home Air

Viruses are commonly found in office buildings and schools, but they may be circulating in the air you breathe at home too. The viruses you’re most likely to find include:

• Influenza viruses
• Rhinoviruses (common cold)
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
• Adenoviruses
• SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19)

Viruses can affect your health in many ways, from a runny nose and mild cold to more serious respiratory infections, especially for kids, older adults, or anyone with a weaker immune system. They travel through tiny droplets when someone coughs, sneezes, or even talks. Those droplets can hang in the air for hours or settle on surfaces around your home.

The good news? You can take steps to reduce your risk. Keeping your home well-ventilated, using highly efficient air filters or a whole-home air purifier, cleaning surfaces frequently, and distancing yourself from sick family members can reduce the spread of viruses.

Molds in the Home

Most of us have run into mold at some point. Once it takes hold, it can be tricky (and sometimes expensive) to get rid of. The EPA estimates that about half of all homes have some mold or signs of dampness. Common types include Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Stachybotrys – each tends to appear in slightly different spots around your house.

Mold thrives anywhere moisture lingers, which is why damp walls, ceilings, and other wet surfaces are common trouble spots. Mold releases tiny spores that can drift through the air and irritate allergies, asthma, or your respiratory system. Your HVAC system can even carry those spores from room to room. A whole-house air purification device is often the best solution to trap mold spores and render them harmless.

“Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals,” according to the EPA. “Allergic responses include hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash (dermatitis). Allergic reactions to mold are common. They can be immediate or delayed.”

Basements and crawl spaces are prime locations for mold because they are often dark, damp, and poorly ventilated, allowing mold to grow and spread. Old carpets, rugs, or upholstery that trap moisture and organic material can also become breeding grounds.

A few signs you may have mold in your home include:

• Visible discoloration on walls, ceilings, or floors
• Musty odors
• Water damage
• Excess moisture or condensation
• Allergy-like symptoms
• Recurring respiratory issues
• Warped or damp carpets and upholstery

Not all molds grow indoors. Blastomyces, for example, is a soil-based fungus rather than something growing on your walls or carpets. Its spores can become airborne when nearby soil is disturbed during construction, landscaping, excavation, or even heavy yard work. Once in the air, those spores can drift through open windows or doors and make their way inside. Species like Blastomyces gilchristii and Blastomyces helicus can cause infections if inhaled.

Contact a professional if you believe there’s a problem. Catching mold early can prevent it from spreading to other parts of your home.

Bacteria in Home Air

Every home has a mix of people, pets, and daily routines, and with all that activity comes bacteria. We release microbes every day by breathing, talking, coughing, and using the bathroom. Pets can also add bacteria from their mouths, skin, and waste. When all of this mixes with moisture from leaks, standing water, or appliances like humidifiers and air conditioners, it creates an environment ripe for bacteria to grow and spread.

Common bacteria found in homes include Legionella, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas, and Mycobacterium avium complex, all of which can pose health issues if inhaled. These bacteria often become airborne through tiny aerosolized droplets, such as from coughing or sneezing, as well as from water leaks, standing water, or mist released by appliances like humidifiers. As they travel throughout the home, everyone is at risk of exposure.

Bacteria in your home’s air can trigger allergies, sinus irritation, and respiratory infections. Frequent colds, headaches, or fatigue might be a sign that airborne bacteria are affecting you.

VOCs and Chemical Hazards

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, may sound like something out of a science lab, but they’re actually chemicals that can quietly hang out in your home's air and affect your health. They are emitted from either solid or liquid materials including everyday items like paints, cleaning sprays, air fresheners, adhesives, hair spray, and nail polish remover. New furniture, flooring, and freshly painted walls can also release VOCs through a process called off-gassing. When these chemicals build up, they can cause headaches, throat or eye irritation, and dizziness.

You often can’t see or smell VOCs, and they tend to collect more in tightly sealed homes with poor airflow. Even routine tasks like cooking, cleaning, or using scented products can raise VOC levels. If you’ve ever walked into a room and noticed a strong “new” smell from furniture or a lingering odor from cleaning supplies, that’s a sign VOCs are in the air. Old or poorly maintained carpeting can release carpet VOCs, which may contribute to health issues and poor indoor air quality.

To reduce pollution in your home, consider improving ventilation, running exhaust fans, and buying low-VOC or no-VOC paints, cleaning products, and building materials. Also, set your HVAC fan to run in circulation mode to circulate the air 2-3 times per hour.

Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is a household chemical that is released from materials like pressed wood, particleboard, plywood, insulation, textiles, and older carpets. Furniture formaldehyde is especially common in cheaper pressed-wood pieces and can release harmful gases for years.

As these materials get older or warm up, they can slowly emit formaldehyde into the air. You can’t see or smell formaldehyde, but too much of it can irritate your eyes, nose, and throat, cause headaches, or make asthma symptoms worse.

To reduce formaldehyde, increase ventilation when you can, run air purifiers, and look for products labeled low in formaldehyde. Replacing older carpets or pressed wood furniture can also make a difference.

Combustion Gases

Common combustion gases such as carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) come from fireplaces, gas stoves, heaters, and other fuel-burning appliances that aren’t working properly. Low levels can irritate your lungs, while higher levels can become dangerous, which is why homeowners should pay attention to smells, lingering smoke, or headaches.

Knowing what’s releasing these gases can help you protect your indoor air. Make sure your fireplace and gas appliances are inspected regularly, and keep your home well-ventilated by opening windows or running exhaust fans. Installing carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home will alert you if CO levels become high.

Environmental Factors and Symptoms

Indoor air pollution can affect how you feel without you even realizing it. Maybe you notice you’re getting more headaches at home, or certain rooms feel stuffy no matter how often you clean. These small clues can point to environmental conditions affecting your indoor air quality.

Poor ventilation, high humidity, and pockets of stagnant or “dead” air give pollutants like bacteria, mold spores, VOCs, and combustion gases a chance to build up. When those things hang around, they can trigger symptoms such as fatigue, allergies, coughing, or a scratchy throat. You might brush it off as a cold or stress, but sometimes your home is simply trying to tell you something.

Paying attention to these signs – and what may be causing them – can make a big difference. Simple adjustments like opening windows when the weather is nice, running exhaust fans, or using a dehumidifier in damp areas can help keep air moving and reduce moisture. Keep an eye on humidity levels, or use an air quality monitor to give you helpful insight into what’s happening behind the scenes.

A few quick changes can create a healthier environment and help you feel better in your own home.

Testing and Detection

Knowing what’s in your home’s air is the first step to keeping it safe and healthy. A professional air quality inspection collects samples from the air and surfaces to identify pollutants and their sources.

While most standard air quality monitors cannot directly detect mold, they can alert you to particles or humidity levels that may indicate its presence. Specialized testing can also check for VOCs, formaldehyde, radon, and other harmful chemicals, helping you take targeted action to improve the air you breathe.

Top Pollutants Recap

Your home’s air can carry a variety of invisible threats that affect health and comfort. The top pollutants include mold spores, bacteria, VOCs, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, radon, dust mites, pet dander, and pollen. Being aware of these common airborne toxins is the first step toward cleaner, healthier indoor air.

Prevention and Solutions

For homeowners who want truly cleaner, safer indoor air, the Maple Air Pür Plasma™ system sets the gold standard. Unlike standard filters that only capture what passes through them, this advanced plasma technology actively breaks down and neutralizes mold spores, bacteria, VOCs, formaldehyde, and other harmful gases. It’s completely ozone-free and 100% organic, delivering continuous 24/7 protection so every breath feels fresher and healthier.

Our Pür Plasma™ technology outperforms traditional indoor air quality solutions by up to 15 times, giving you a faster, more effective way to improve your home’s air. Installation takes minutes, maintenance is minimal, and the system is built to last – longer than the HVAC equipment it pairs with. Testing has shown more than a 90% reduction in airborne pollutants, and its results are trusted by major brands like Hilton Hotels, Penn State, and Gold’s Gym.

Beyond cleaner air, homeowners notice real, everyday improvements: rooms smell fresher, lingering odors from cooking, pets, or sports gear disappear, and your home feels more comfortable.

Contact us today to learn more about our innovative products.

Indoor Air Pollution FAQs

Is the Air in My Home Making Me Sick?

Sometimes the air in your home affects how you feel, even if you don’t realize it. If you’re noticing headaches, fatigue, stuffiness, or constant allergies, your indoor air quality could be part of the problem.

Do Air Conditioners Emit Harmful Gases?

Standard air conditioners do not emit harmful combustion gases, but they can spread pollutants already in your home if filters aren’t cleaned.

Why Is Air Quality Worse at Night?

Air circulation often slows while you sleep, allowing pollutants to settle and concentrations to increase in bedrooms.

How Do You Reduce CO₂ in Homes?

To reduce CO₂ and other harmful gases in your home, increase ventilation, use exhaust fans, and make sure all combustion appliances are well-maintained.

Why Is There a Chemical Smell in the Air Inside?

If you notice a chemical smell indoors, it could be a sign of VOCs being released into the air. Ventilating the area and limiting exposure to the source can limit the smell.