Cool weather has arrived. Is your home ready? Very soon now everyone will be huddled indoors, warm and cozy against the outdoor chill. That means the air inside your home needs to be as clean as possible. How can you be sure it is? Canal Winchester Heating and Cooling has some more tips to amp up the air quality in your home:
11. Modernize Your HVAC System
It may be time to upgrade your heating and air conditioning system in order to make sure the air in your home is healthy and clean at all times. Modern HVAC models work better than ever to ensure that air is filtered and purified before it ever circulates through your home. The updated HVAC systems have an additional perk: they are designed to be energy efficient and ego friendly, meaning savings for you on your utility bills.
12. Use Humidifiers Throughout Your Home
Humidifiers add just the right amount of moisture to the air in your home to keep it from becoming a breeding ground for bacteria, dust, mold spores, etc. They are especially effective in homes where someone may suffer from respiratory issues. Humidifiers have been proven in studies to help individuals get a more restful night’s sleep and wake up breathing free and clear.
13. Paint Your Home with Environmentally Safe Paint
There is a very good chance that the paint used on the interior of your home is giving off toxic fumes. Particularly in older homes, paints that contain unhealthy chemicals have often been used. This was, for the most part, prior to the knowledge that we now have regarding the dangers of these materials. Choose an eco-friendly, safe interior paint and give your home a makeover for the holidays.
14. Don’t Allow Smoking in Your Home
These days everyone is aware of the serious health problems caused by smoking. Not only is it a danger to the smoker, but secondhand smoke has been found to be just as harmful to those exposed to it as the cigarette is to the smoker. If you have smokers in your home, encourage them to give up the dangerous habit. Make it known that smoking will not be tolerated inside the house and that if they choose to smoke, they will have to go outside and away from the house to do so. Cigarette smoke permeates every surface in your home, leaving behind a bad smell, discoloration, and worst of all, toxic chemicals that will be breathed in by every member of your household.
15. Add Air-Purifying Plants to Your Home
The plant world naturally cleans and purifies the air all around us every day. Placing a few plants in each room of your home will help to keep the air clean and pollutant-free. There are a number of house plants that work great. They include Bamboo Palm, Chinese Evergreen, Spider Plant, and Pot Mum, just to name a few. You can find a more extensive list and further information about these helpful plants at https://www.hgtv.com/remodel/interior-remodel/10-best-plants-for-cleaning-indoor-air-pictures.
16. Give Your Furniture a Thorough Cleaning
Considering that practically everyone who enters your home sits on your furniture at some point, it can be a breeding ground for any number of types of germs, bacteria, and debris. If you have pets who share the furniture, then you are already well aware of the joys of trying to remove pet hair and dander completely. At least once a week, give your sofa, loveseat, recliner, etc. a thorough vacuuming. At least once a month, use a mild upholstery-safe soap and warm water to wipe down your furniture. If you have removable slipcovers that can be washed at home, toss them in the laundry on the gentle cycle. Don’t forget to clean throw pillows as well.
17. Don’t Overlook Window Treatments
Your curtains and blinds trap and hold a large percentage of the airborne pollutants in your home. A quick glance at your blinds will very likely reveal that fact. Unless you are one of the meticulous types who keeps your blinds dusted at all times, it will be easy to see the buildup and realize that you are looking at the debris floating around in your home’s air. Use a regular vacuum cleaner attachment, a handheld mini vac, or a steam cleaner to thoroughly clean drapes and curtains weekly. Wash or dry-clean them at least once during the Winter season. Use a good quality duster to keep blinds free of dirt and debris. When you clean your window treatments, take a moment to also wipe down window ledges and sills with a disinfectant cleaning product and warm water.
18. Keep Your Carpets Shampooed and Fresh
Regular vacuuming will keep the topical dirt and debris off of your carpets. However, a great deal of it becomes ground in and remains trapped deep inside your carpet even after vacuuming. Once a month, shampoo your carpets using a deodorizing and disinfecting cleaning product made specifically for carpets. Choose a day when the weather is fair so that you can open windows and doors to expedite the drying process.
19. Place Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers in Attics and Basements
Your attic and/or basement may not get a lot of use. That doesn’t mean that dust, debris, and pollutants are not present in these areas. They are, and they can find their way into the rest of your home easily enough. An air-to-air heat exchanger can be placed in these areas and left for extended periods of time to keep the air filtered and clean. They work especially well in areas that are excessively dusty. They have a handy closed-loop design that eliminates the need for filters. They can be adapted to fit electrical enclosures. Their low-maintenance design means you can place them and allow them to do their job without a great deal of attention on your part.
20. Ventilate Your Home
Protecting your home against cold air and drafts is a necessity. However, sealing up your home and never allowing the outside air in is a recipe for unhealthy air quality. Open your windows and doors occasionally and allow the crisp, fresh air inside to carry away the stale air that is trapped inside, potentially filled with pollutants. Use window fans on mild days and set the vent control on you’re A/C unit to “Open” to refresh your home.
The HVAC professionals at Canal Winchester Heating and Cooling are happy to provide you with tips to make your home healthy and ready for the Winter season. Give us a call today to schedule your HVAC inspection and cleaning by one of our trained technicians. We are waiting to hear from you so that we can help you enjoy your home all season long. Give us a call at 614-524-4737 or schedule your appointment on the web at cwheating.com/schedule-now/.
