7 Tips to Improve the Air Quality in Your Home This Winter

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Feet in wool socks warming by cozy fire

It’s that time of the year when we spend most our time indoors, whether it be school, office, public transport or any other closed spaces with old heating systems and questionable cleaning schedules.

That is a perfect breeding ground for various bacteria and viruses, but it is also a convenient “grocery store” for allergies, as well.

In the text below we will try to show you how to battle this pesky nuisance which carries symptoms like a runny nose or itchy eyes and can cause serious illness like asthma or bronchitis.

Here are some pretty common but always useful tips and tricks on how to protect yourself:

Schedule routine heating system maintenance

This is probably the most important preventive measure and is essentially obligatory. Heating systems can be a host to numerous bacteria and viruses and if they are not cleaned regularly, at least once a year.

The risk of inhaling all those dangerous particles when the new heating season starts and we just fire up the systems after a couple of months is pretty big. You can learn more about heating system maintenance here: https://hughesairco.com/heating-service-scottsdale-az/

Clean your air ducts

Same rules apply to air ducts. Cleaning them regularly will prevent all the unwanted bacteria, dirt, dust, and microbes from entering your home.

Regular maintenance and cleaning will eliminate those risks. There are other tools that can help maintain a healthy environment in your home. Humidifiers, for example, keep the humidity levels just right for you.

Lack of humidity will leave your body open for infections and too much of humidity will help speed up development of mold, dust mites and mildew.

Do not smoke indoors and avoid smoke-filled areas

Both active and passive smoking has a strong effect on your health directly and especially during the winter while we keep the windows closed to keep the heat in.

This causes the air to be stagnant and more favorable for the development of respiratory diseases. It also makes your immune system more vulnerable to allergies.

Keep your floors clean and vacuumed

This part is also very important as you bring in as much dirt and contaminants on your shoes when you step in from the outside as a faulty heating system might. The filth will just keep piling on if you do not vacuum your floors and carpets on a regular basis. This is especially true if you have a pet that also goes outside and comes back home all dirty and muddy.

Bedding needs to be clean

People usually disregard this because they think that their beds cannot get dirty as much as some other parts of the home, but that actually is not true. You need to wash your sheets and pillows regularly in warm water in order to kill bacteria and parasites and to prevent allergens from hurting you.

Keep the windows open

This one is a bit tricky because you need to sacrifice heat for fresh air. However, doing this is critical because heating systems use the same air and just cycle it. Opening windows in short bursts will make a great difference and will help protect your health. Of course, it is not recommended to keep them open at night because you might catch a cold.

Exhaust fans in your kitchen and bathroom

These are pretty common in most households. They keep unnecessary smells, moisture, cleaning chemical odors and allergens from spreading all-over your home, especially during the winter when you keep your windows shut most of the time. That’s why you should make sure the exhaust fans are clean so they can perform their task effectively.

Contact Hughes Air Heating & Cooling at 220 W 6th Ave, Mesa, AZ 85210, USA; 480-247-6927 or visit http://www.hughesairco.com/

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