Nobody you ask is going to tell you that they particularly enjoy their home’s air quality during winter. It’s too cold to open up your windows, so things tend to get stuffy. As if that wasn’t bad enough, winter also tends to lead to especially dry air. Cold air doesn’t hold moisture as well, and indoor heating decreases humidity. Long story short, keeping your home’s air clean and comfortable this winter is a bit of an uphill battle.
There’s no need to worry, however, because you have a lot of things to fight with, too. Here’s a list of things you can do to keep your air clean and fresh this winter.
INVEST IN A VACUUM CLEANER WITH A HEPA FILTER
HEPA filters are designed to pick up things that bother your eyes and nose, like dust and pet dander. HEPA filtered vacuums collect the tiny mites and particles that lesser vacuums just don’t have the power to pick up.
HAVE AN IN-HOME AIR EXCHANGER INSTALLED BEFORE THE WINTER MONTHS HIT
When your home doesn’t receive fresh air, indoor air that remains starts to become saturated with bacteria, chemicals, dust, and mold. By having an air exchange ventilator (AEV) installed in your home you can decrease the spread of these contaminants and improve your home’s indoor air quality year round.
BE A PROACTIVE DUSTER
This might seem obvious, but we want to make sure it’s said anyway: dust! Dander, dust mites, and food waste can get on every surface of your home. It’s especially important to make sure you’re wiping things down when the air in your home isn’t circulating as much.
USE ALL THE VENTILATION AVAILABLE TO YOU
The exhaust fans in your bathroom in kitchen can prevent especially humid or stinky air from lingering. If you have or are planning on installing an air exchanger, that will help, but your home’s exhaust fans will be their first step toward protecting against particularly smelly air.
KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THE HUMIDITY LEVELS WITHIN YOUR HOME
We mentioned this in the introduction, but we want to reiterate: winter air is dry air. You want to maintain a general humidity rate of between 40 and 50% within your home. You can monitor your in-home humidity by purchasing a hygrometer. It will let you know about the humidity levels in your home so that you can act accordingly at any given time.
CALL SOMEONE TO TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR HOME HVAC
The best way to keep your home’s air feeling fresh and clean throughout the winter months is by having a professional visit and take a look at everything before the temperature turns. A pro will let you know if they can fix anything now, before you have to do it when it’s a lot colder.
Stay warm out there – and stay breathing fresh air, too. If you ever need help cleaning things up, contact the experts at Blue Ox Heating & Airto talk about all the clean air solutions available to you year round.
