The arrival of autumn means it will (unfortunately) be winter again before you know it. And while we have all been spending extra time at home this spring and summer, the temperature dropping means we will spend even more time at home. As you and your family plan on spending more time at home this fall and winter, one thing you’ll want to consider as you try to stay comfortable at home is how to improve your home’s indoor air quality.
Opening your windows for some fresh air may not be the most appealing option during the colder months, so for the most part, you’ll be stuck breathing the air being filtered around your home. The issue is the yearly buildup of dirt, dust, and other allergens like hair, dander, and mites can make your home’s air quite impure, even if you consider yourself someone who is always on top of regular home cleaning. Keeping your home’s air as clean as possible can help you breathe easier and stay more comfortable throughout the fall and winter months. This is especially important if you or someone in your household has asthma or other health risks! If you want to make sure your home’s air quality is as clean as it can be before it gets too cold outside, take these easy steps!
How to Improve Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality
Deep clean your carpet and rugs
You may do regular sweeping and vacuuming throughout the year, but is your vacuum cleaner really getting the job done? Vacuum cleaners do a good job of cleaning surface-level dirt, hair, and dander from your carpet, but dirt driven into carpet fibers, bacteria, dust mites, and other allergens live deep in your carpet beyond the reaches of an ordinary vacuum.
Trusted Cleaners suggests your carpet can contain up to four times its weight in dirt, hair, and dander. The allergens stuck deep inside your carpet and rug fibers can get kicked up as you walk across or move furniture and soil your indoor air quality during the winter when fresh air circulation is more limited. Every homeowner should plan on having their carpets and rugs professionally deep cleaned at least once a year, and the end of summer is the perfect time to do it.
Get your ducts cleaned
Dirt, dander, and hair that is kicked around your house often finds its way into your ventilation system. Your heating and air conditioning system, if properly filtered, will keep a fair amount of these particles from entering your air circulation, but they won’t be able to catch it all. So, when you run your HVAC system, all that junk in the air will be continually circulated throughout the house several times a day every day and eventually settle and build up inside your air ducts!
One of the most effective ways to keep the indoor air quality of your home clean and pure is with regular air duct cleaning every couple of years. Duct cleaning can clear your air ducts of excessive dirt and dust bunny buildup and limit the perpetual circulation of sullied air and particles throughout your house from one room to the next.
Change air filters
Speaking of properly filtered heating and air conditioning systems, changing your air filter isn’t just important for preserving the life of your HVAC system but also important for keeping your air quality clean. Your air filter catches quite a bit of dirt, dust, dander, and hair and keeps it from entering your heating and air conditioning system.
But, as more and more builds up, it becomes harder for air to make it through, and eventually, the little air that will be coming through won’t be so clean. Your filter should be replaced every three months or so to ensure the purest indoor air quality. Fortunately, changing out your filter is something that is easy to do! If you’re not sure where your filter is or how to change it, give us a call!
Clean your curtains and drapes
Most people spend a lot of time cleaning their floors and dusting their shelves to keep their homes clean. But there is one place that often goes overlooked that can get just as filthy and coated in dust, dirt, and other air quality irritants: your curtains and drapes. Curtains, especially ones made from heavier materials, have lots of fibers that latch onto airborne particles and can hold on for dear life. Whenever you open your curtains, you’re launching all that dander and dust back into the air.
Like your carpet and rugs, regular curtain cleaning is important for keeping your indoor air free of excessive allergens. However, before it gets too cold and you are spending extra time at home, you may want to consider a thorough cleaning of your curtains and drapes, either with a good shake outdoors or taking them to the cleaners.
These are just a few simple steps you can take to improve the indoor air quality of your home this fall and winter.
Call Hoosier Indoor Air to Improve Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality!
Do you think it might be time to have your ducts professionally cleaned or want to make sure your heating system is in tip-top shape? Call us today at (317) 466-7437 or schedule an appointment online!
