Living in beautiful Colorado means the winter chill can start early. As a result, many homes are buttoned up against the cold weather for months at a time, which makes it a challenge to ensure your home has good indoor air quality (IAQ). The temptation is to seal your home to avoid the cold, but when you cut off all fresh air it can create a stale and heavy germ environment which isn’t good for anyone.
Your friends at Climate Control Company have a few easy tips to help freshen and improve your (IAQ):
- Fresh air
- This solution is free and easy, but not always practical. If we happen to get a warm enough day during the heating season, open your windows to get more air circulation. When that’s not possible, run the exhaust fan in your kitchen and bathrooms to remove some of the contaminants trapped in the house.
- Clean & dust religiously
- This is also a free way to improve indoor air quality, but not as easy as opening a window. With the house closed up, things like mold, pollen, pet dander, and dust mites can multiply rapidly. Dusting regularly, especially near window and door trim, will help. Same for frequent vacuuming, but make sure to use a vacuum with a HEPA filter or you could be putting dust back into the air.
- Change your HVAC filters
- We’ve been preaching it for years, the key to efficient and clean operation of the heating and air conditioning systems in your Aspen home is filtration. They should be changed every one to three months, depending on the type of filter. Talk with your Climate Control technician about the best filter for improving indoor air quality.
- Air purification
- Sometimes you need to go beyond just filtration to improve your IAQ. Filters, even the best ones, are designed to remove particles. Air purification systems are able to clean the air by killing many bacteria and viruses. One of the most common types uses ultraviolet light to kill those organisms.
- Add a humidifier
- Dry air symptoms like nose bleeds, itchy throat, and annoying static electricity are no fun to deal with. Proper humidity levels are an important factor in healthy indoor air. Research shows dry air helps spread certain diseases, including the flu virus. Climate Control offers several models of humidifiers to assure healthy humidity levels in your home.
Whatever you do, don’t underestimate the importance of indoor air quality. The experts say poor IAQ is one of the leading public health problems in the country. Call Climate Control Company to learn more about how we can help protect your family. Make sure to like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get more great information like this.
