Seasonal allergies take a toll on your comfort and productivity. Improvements in indoor air quality can help you, especially as temperatures cool and everyone spends more time indoors. Here are tips for reducing allergens and improving air quality in your home this season.
Improve Ventilation
Stale air is responsible for many allergies, including mold and chemical sensitivities. Proper ventilation in the home improves indoor air quality by reducing indoor contaminants, such as carbon monoxide, humidity caused by cooking, showering and doing laundry; and volatile organic compounds like formaldehyde, which can be found in building materials.
When the weather is right, it can be tempting to open a window or two for ventilation. However, this allows pollen and dust into the home. Instead, have your home’s ventilation system checked and improved.
Maintain Your HVAC System
A dirty HVAC system often contributes to allergies. If you forget to change your filters or the system components and ductwork are filthy, dust, pollen and even mold spores may enter your home through registers. Poor air quality can also occur if the system is the wrong size for your home or is not functioning well. Remember to keep up with scheduling maintenance visits each spring and fall to keep your HVAC system clean and running smoothly.
Reduce Dust
Dust contains many common allergens, such as dander, dust mites, pollen and mold spores. It makes sense, then, that keeping dust levels down will reduce allergies.
To reduce dust:
- Damp mop floors at least once a week and use a damp cloth or an electrostatic dusting cloth to remove dust from other surfaces, such as wood furniture and shelves.
- Exchange carpeting for hypoallergenic floors, such as wood, ceramic tile, laminate or linoleum. If that is not possible, then vacuum carpeting as often as you can.
- Use mats at entrances to reduce the amount of dust tracked into the home.
- Wash bedding weekly.
- Keep windows and doors closed.
For more information about improving indoor air quality in your Indianapolis home, please contact us at Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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