24.5 Million Americans are Affected by allergies, and it it one of the most common chronic diseases. There are many types of allergies, including drug, food, insect, latex, mold, pet dander and pollen. Have you been running your AC throughout the summer? The filters in your system have probably greatly reduced the dust and irritant build up in your home, but there is no substitute for a bit of fall cleaning. Here are some tips for improving the air quality in your home and getting ready for winter
Clean from top to bottom: Go through each room and dust everything: Walls, ceilings, baseboards, etc. Summer is a common time for the house to collect dust, and dust is an easy way to cause irritation in the winter. Follow through with a thorough vacuuming of carpets and any fabric drapes you may have.
Clean Ceiling Fan Blades: Those big blades on your ceiling fan are great at moving air, but when they’re idle they’re big dust magnets — dust settles on the top surfaces where you can’t see it.
Deep clean the kitchen: Fall means the holidays will be here before we know it, and holidays often bring guests. Deep clean all of your appliances – refrigerator, oven, and dishwasher. Organize your cabinets and drawers to make sure you can easily find what you need.
Wash the windows: Go through the house and wash all the windows, indoors and out, to avoid this step during the cold and snowy winter months. Take out the screens and wash them so they’re ready to go next summer. Replace them with storm windows.
Turn Over Furniture and Vacuum the Bottoms: You might shift furniture around so you can vacuum the floor, but there’s another side to the story — the underside. Tilt upholstered chairs and couches all the way back (much easier with two people) to expose the bottoms. The dustcovers tacked underneath furniture can catch dust bunnies, so vacuum them off, being careful not to press too hard on the fabric.
Change HVAC System Filters: A Dirty filter can have a very detrimental effect on both the quality of the air in your home, and your monthly utility bill. You should change your furnace filters at minimum once before the heating season(fall), and the cooling season(spring). Be sure to turn off all of your equipment before changing any filters out. Tough to access filter locations may require professional assistance.
Every home typically has three major types of pollutants in the air, which can cause breathing difficulties, asthma attacks and unpleasant smells.
- Airborne Particles: Made up of everything from dust, dirt and pollen to cloth fibers from furnishings and clothing, airborne particles are a major source of allergies.
- Germs and Bacteria: Mold, fungi, spores, viruses and other tiny organisms circulating in the air can enter the lungs and make you and your family sick. They are also a major allergy trigger.
- Chemical Odors and Vapors: Caused by everything from adhesives and cleaning products to cooking smoke and gasoline fumes from the garage. These floating gases and vapors don’t just smell bad, they can irritate allergies, cause breathing difficulties and increase the risk of other serious health effects.
Multiple technologies that address all three classes of pollutant.
Learn more about Improving Indoor Air Quality or if you would like to schedule services for your HVAC system, contact us today!
