Air Quality Best Practices
Best Practices for Your Air Unit
The following best practices are recommended to keep the best air quality in your residence hall room. Excessive moisture, both inside and outside, is a contributing factor to the presence of mold.
Steps you can take to reduce moisture in your room are:
Keep your room temperature set at a regular, moderate temperature to keep moisture levels low (around 70-73 degrees). Keep the fan turned
to auto.
The temperature in each room air unit can be set by using the thermostat under the cover plate that flips open or located on the wall, depending on your residence hall. It is not recommended to fluctuate between extreme temperatures or to regularly turn the unit off/on.
One of the best ways to improve air circulation is by turning on fans. Fans promote airflow and help reduce excess moisture. They reduce a room's overall humidity.
Keep your windows closed.
Opening windows introduces more moisture into the room.
Wipe up excess moisture.
Dropping temperatures squeeze moisture from the air, causing condensation, or drops of water, to form on surfaces such as windows and desktops. Cleaning these areas with a dry cloth removes the moisture.
Keep the area in front of your air unit clear.
HVAC systems are designed to remove moisture from the air during the cooling season, but blocking the unit with furniture, clothing, etc., prevents the air from circulating and the unit from doing its job.
Frequently clean your room and wipe down your air unit with disinfectant wipes.
The buildup of dust can contribute to allergens in the air and can cause issues with your air unit.Take out your trash, wash dishes, and throw away old food as often as possible.
Wash and Dry Bedding and Clothing Often
All campus residents have access to free laundry in their residence hall. Regularly wash and dry clothing, bedding, and towels. Mold spores are easily carried in from outside on clothing, shoes, and backpacks. Regularly wipe down/sanitize items that cannot be laundered.
Use a Dehumidifier, If Needed
Dehumidifiers can reduce moisture in your room. If you choose to use a dehumidifier, follow the manufacturer's instructions. Leaving water in the unit can add additional moisture to the room.
Report Maintenance Issues Promptly
Report issues in your room quickly so crews can investigate and address the matter quickly. Visit www.wku.edu/housing/maintenance to learn how to submit a maintenance request.
Mold is a part of the natural environment and aids in the decomposition of leaves, trees, and other natural organic materials. Individual mold spores are invisible to the human eye and are continually floating around outside in nature. However, when those spores make their way into indoors and are exposed to wet/humid areas they can begin to grow or colonize.
Mold is found almost everywhere and can grow on wood, paper, carpet, foods, insulation,
ceiling tiles,clothing and painted walls as long as moisture and oxygen are present.
It is impossible to completely eliminate mold and mold spores in the indoor environment
due to the traffic of daily human activity.Spores are constantly being carried in
on clothing, shoes, and backpacks.
However, we can mitigate the impact on air quality - follow the air quality best practices
listed above.
Actually, there's a good chance you do. Multiple studies have found up to 70% of homes
in America have some level of mold present. The difference is all about volume. Hundreds
of people enter and exit your residence hall on a daily basis, leading to hundreds
of chances of introducing spores from outside. This is compounded and complicated
by the circulation issues created by having rooms stacked side-by-side and on top
of one another, each with their own air conditioning system.
Mold & air quality issues are a regular issue for college residence halls, apartment
complexes, hospitals, office buildings,
and any other structure where there are many enclosed spaces within one building.
Scientists suspect there are over 300,000 different types of mold found on Earth.
While it's true some are considered a health risk,the vast majority of common mold
species are considered allergenic in nature, and some produce no reaction at all.
Of course, every person will respond differently to different allergens. Some people
are more sensitive to mold and may experience short-term or acute reactions in the
presence of mold growth, while others may not have any reaction whatsoever.
Symptoms associated with mold exposure are not unique and cannot be easily distinguished
from symptoms caused by other medical conditions, such as the common cold or seasonal
environmental allergies, like hay and pollen.
Mold is present all around us. Given time and a hospitable environment, mold will almost always appear on mold test kits sold at hardware or home improvement stores, even in spaces with no mold growth whatsoever. These kits are designed to collect samples to be sent to certified laboratories for analysis and identification of the type of mold present, not to gauge the existence or severity of mold. Instead, we rely on careful detailed visual inspection and recognition of moldy odors to find problems needing correction. In select situations, WKU Environmental Health and Safety staff may perform air sampling to help identify the severity of a mold issue.
Submit a work order by visiting wku.edu/housing/maintenance. Include as many specific details as possible. Technicians will respond and complete an inspection of furniture, walls, closets, and HVAC units to check for any evidence of mold growth or other concerns, as well as take internal temperature and humidity readings.
WKU Housing & Residence Life: call (270)745-3143 or email hrl@wku.edu
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