It’s true that the cold and dry winter weather can wreak havoc on the air inside of your home. It will cause the humidity level to drop, which means dry and itchy skin for your whole family unless you’re able to implement the tips below to ensure that your indoor air stays in tip-top shape this upcoming winter.
Clean Frequently
One of the easiest ways to help boost your indoor air quality without spending much money is simply cleaning your house more frequently. The more dust that you can get out of crevices, furniture, and your floor, the less dust will be circulated through your ventilation system. When cleaning, make sure that you take your rugs and cushions outside and get rid of the dirt out there. This will help to keep the contaminants from staying inside of your home.
Replace Filters Often
Most homeowners know that they replace their HVAC filter every three months. In the wintertime, you’re going to want to replace your filter more often since you’re going to have your doors and windows open less often. It’s a good rule of thumb to take a look at your filter every two weeks to check its condition. If you’re no longer able to actually see through the filter cartridge, it’s time to throw it out and replace it with a new one.
Get a Whole-Home Air Purifier
Another great method for removing unwanted airborne particles in your home is to install a whole-home air purifier. This works to sanitize the air in your home of unwanted contaminants like mold, dust, odors, and other allergens. Getting an air purifier that also comes with a HEPA filter will help to remove anywhere between 70% and 95% of airborne contaminants inside of your home. Just make sure that you purchase an air purifier that is capable of handling the entire square footage of your home.
Install a Whole-home Humidifier
One of the biggest reasons that the wintertime can wreak havoc on your family is that the air is very cold and dry. This leads to itchy scalps and overall dry skin. You can combat this problem by installing a whole-home humidifier, which will work to put moisture back into the air inside of your home. When you can get your air back up to a relative humidity level of 30%, you can combat the dry skin.
Clean Air Vents and Ducts
All of the air that goes throughout your home circulates through your vents and ducts. A great way to help control the pollutants like dust and dust mites that can get into your indoor air is to regularly clean your supply and return vents and your ducting. If possible, pop out your vents and give them a good soaking so that you can remove any stuck-on debris. Ensure that your vents are entirely dry before you put them back. If you put them back wet, it can lead to mold growth very quickly.
Consider Upgrading Filters
There are four main types of filters that you can get for your HVAC system. These include fiberglass, pleated, HEPA, and disposable filters. Most homeowners fall in the category of getting pleated air filters. These tend to be right in the middle of all the filters when it comes to price, and they’re relatively effective at removing small particles like mold spores, pet dander, and pollen.
However, since you’re going to be spending more time indoors during the winter with most of your doors and windows closed, it’s a good time to think about upgrading the type of filter that you use. A HEPA air filter is specifically designed to screen out 99.97% of dust, mold, pet dander, viruses, bacteria, pollen, and other irritants. It’s highly recommended for those who have allergies and respiratory problems.
Brush Your Pets Outside Often
If you have pets in your home, they can be one of the biggest contributors to poor air quality during the winter months. Regularly take them outside and brush them. The more pet dander that you can get outside of your home, the less your HVAC filter has to work to remove it from the inside of your home.
Trusted Indoor Air Quality Services
Northwest HVAC Heating & Cooling offers quality indoor air services to the entire Vancouver, Washington, region. We also provide quality air conditioning, heating, and ductless system services. Call us today to get the help that you need.
