With the weather growing colder by the day, homeowners are making sure their houses are sealed and protected from the chilly outdoor air. Unfortunately, in doing so, poor indoor air is being trapped inside and recirculated every time the heating system kicks on. If allergies are a concern, indoor air quality is paramount to remaining healthy throughout the winter months.
In the winter, heat and closed windows trap air inside homes, and the air then gets sucked back in through the system and spread again throughout the house. Add in Christmas trees, dusty decorations, and stirred up air from moving furniture to accommodate extra family and the quality of the air inside your home decreases dramatically. Fortunately, there are ways to ensure that your air is the best it can possibly be.
- Keep it Clean – If you’ve put up or taken down a Christmas tree, chances are you’ve moved some furniture around. With that furniture movement came months of dust that settled into the nooks and crannies. Making sure you vacuum, dust, and keep up with the cleaning in general can help to keep the quality of your air higher than normal.
- No Smoking – Smoking indoors can drastically reduce the quality of air inside your home. Not only are there smoke and carcinogens in the air, but ashes and ashtrays add to the smell and dust levels. When you can’t open the windows, consider making your home a non-smoking place to be.
- Humidity – In the summer, humidity can be the bane of your existence, but in the winter it is helpful to have excess humidity in your home. Due to dry air being forced into the home from your heating system, the inside of your home is a hot bed for illness, allergies, and bad air. By adding a humidifier to the mix you can increase the air quality by leaps and bounds. However, maintaining healthy levels is important.
- Ducts – Keep your ducts and air filters clean. It is best if a professional performs duct cleaning service as they can responsibly complete the job without damaging anything. Cleaning the ducts and air filters makes sure that all excess dust, dirt, and germs are flushed from the interior ductwork of your home. This ensures that cleaner air is entering your home when the heat comes on.
As always, if you need service for your heating unit or are looking for ways to increase your indoor air quality, we can help. Contact us today!