We have dedicated a lot of posts
on this blog talking about how to improve the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) of your
home. But what about when you are traveling? Whether you need a place to stay
for a night or are on a long vacation in one location, you want to make sure
you are comfortable.
The IAQ of the accommodations can have a direct effect on
your comfort level. While it is certainly harder to control the IAQ of where
you are staying compared to your own home, there are steps you can take.
Understand where you are
traveling. We talk a lot about outdoor air but that is going to look different
depending on where you are traveling. Staying in a large city with a lot of car exhaust and other pollutants
compared to staying at a resort in Hawaii with a fresh sea breeze is going to
be different. In a city, you will want to limit the amount of air coming into
the room, while in the other, you will want to bring as much air in as
possible.
Use the ventilation systems in the
unit. All the bathrooms should have at least a ventilation fan. Use them. Even
when you are not in the bathroom, keep them running for an extended period.
This will help to exchange the air in the room/unit. If you are staying in a
unit that has a kitchen, use the range hood every time you cook.
Give the place a once over. This
is one that is both for the IAQ and your overall comfort. Walkthrough the unit
and look for any mold or mildew build-up. Does it look clean, is there a
chemical smell, does it fell overly humid? These can all be warning signs of
poor ventilation and worst – poor maintenance. If you do find any of these and
you have the ability to ask for another room – do so. Sometimes it can be just
that room. The harder situation is if the entire facility is like that. Now you
have to make a decision on if to stay or if you try to find another place. That
can get complicated with deposits, prepaid rooms and so forth.
Just because you are traveling
doesn’t mean your comfort and IAQ needs to suffer. Hopefully these ideas will
help you stay comfortable and sleep easy at night.
For more information about
Indoor Air Quality, visit us at www.airkinglimited.com.
