During the winter months, it is easy to forget that your home needs some fresh air or air exchanges regularly to help increase the air quality. As odd as it might sound, the more air-tight and energy-efficient your home is, the lower the air quality in many cases. Unfortunately, builders have focused so intently on keeping warm air inside in the winter that there is little opportunity for fresh air to enter and replace the stale and somewhat polluted air inside your home. However, there are a few simple steps that you and your loved ones can take to increase the air quality inside your house and decrease the potential for breathing and respiratory issues.
IMPROVE VENTILATION
Of course, you do not want to create air gaps or leaks that will steal the warm air from your home. But you need to think about airing out the house or doing an air exchange when the weather is mild. Stale air inside your home can be up to ten times more polluted than the outside air. So open a few windows and even use a fan to draw fresh air into the house and eliminate all of the stale air loaded with allergens and other contaminants.
REMOVE SHOES
Even if you are wiping your feet before entering the house, your shoes track a massive amount of contaminants indoors. Everything from pet dander and pollen to chemicals and animal waste can be carried in via the soles of your shoes. Once inside, those particles are distributed onto floors and carpets. So instead of bringing all of those potentially harmful items into your home, slip off your shoes before entering. It will make cleaning easier and help increase the air quality in your home.
ELIMINATE AEROSOLS
All products dispensed from an aerosol can use propellants. These gases have nothing to do with the function of the product you are spraying. Instead, all they do is pollute the air that you are breathing. Some of the most common items include hair spray, bug spray, furniture polish, deodorant, and cleaning solutions. You can eliminate these unnecessary chemicals from the air you breathe by purchasing pump spray cleaners, solid deodorants, and cleaning wipes that do not use these harmful gases.
ELIMINATE TOBACCO SMOKE
There are over 50 known cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco smoke. If you smoke inside your home, those toxic chemicals are permeating the air that you and your loved ones are breathing as well as all the soft or porous surfaces in the house. Studies have discovered that secondhand smoke can be more harmful than actually smoking. In addition, it has been found to be a leading cause of lower respiratory infections, ear infections, asthma, and pneumonia in children. Eliminating smoking in your home will significantly increase the air quality and reduce potential health hazards for you and your loved ones.
REGULAR CLEANING
Even with regular air filter replacements, dust and dirt will find their way into your heating system. A professional cleaning each year is the best way to prevent damage to your furnace from dust and debris and increase the air quality in your home. In addition, it is recommended that you have your home’s duct system cleaned regularly to remove dust and even mold and mildew spores that can accumulate in them. These two affordable and straightforward cleaning procedures are paramount to increasing the air quality in your house and eliminating allergens and asthma triggers.
Call (912) 225-4056 to schedule a visit from the experts at Thompson & Thompson Service Group’. We offer complete furnace inspections and cleanings as well as duct cleaning to eliminate dust and breathing issues in your home.
