How to Clean the Air in my Home to Avoid Viruses
Have you noticed that you and your family are getting sick more often than usual? This could be caused by several factors. One common cause of this issue could be the air quality in your home. Have you ever had it tested?
Your home air quality is even more important to your day-to-day life than the air quality outside. After all, isn’t your house where you spend the bulk of your time? One-third of your life is spent in the home just sleeping alone!
It’s no secret that disease has been in the news, and people are now doing everything they can to keep pathogens like bacteria, viruses, and germs out of their homes and away from their loved ones. Did you know that it’s possible for the air in your house to become more polluted than the air outside?
There are several reasons why the air in your residence can become polluted. Use the following tips to make the air in your home cleaner and healthier.
Open Your Windows
This seems simple, but it can have a massive positive effect on the overall health of the air in your house. Nothing improves the ventilation and overall flow of fresh air more than opening your windows, even if it’s just for 10 minutes every day. Let the clean air in and filter the bad stuff out with this simple action.
Enjoy Some Houseplants
What do plants do in the wild? They turn carbon dioxide into fresh oxygen. The symbiotic relationship between humans and plants is well-documented. Our respiratory output is their input, and vice versa. Try placing some plants around your house. Not only will they improve your air quality, but they will improve your home’s aesthetics, too.
Use Fresh Air Filters
The most important part of your home’s HVAC system is its air filters. All the air that circulates through your house goes through the air filters at some point to have the particles removed. Consider installing air filters that are allergen-rated by HEPA. Some of these filters can remove particles down to .003 microns in size, including viruses.
Here are some things you should look for when purchasing an air filter:
- The size of particles it removes
- Compatibility with your HVAC system
- Warranty
- Is it a true HEPA filter?
Purchase an Air Purifier
A portable air purifier is a great way to improve the cleanliness of the air in your house. These air purifiers come in a variety of sizes with different ratings for how much particulate they get out of the air and the square footage they can clean.
Air purifiers have a massive range in specs, helping each homeowner to find the perfect one for his or her home. Some can clean an entire 3,000-square-foot property in just an hour, while others are better suited for a small den. Rest assured that you’ll be able to find every rating in between. For the best results with an air filter, choose one with a three-stage filtration system. This means it has a HEPA filter, a pre-filter, and a carbon filter. The carbon filter is the last stage where the odors and chemicals are removed.
Here are some questions to ask when shopping for an air purifier:
- What is its capacity for filtration?
- What is its range for impurity removal?
- Can it remove chemicals and odors?
- How much noise does it make?
Check Your Home’s Ductwork
Your HVAC system is designed to help clean the air in your home. It can’t do a good job of purifying the air if it’s filled with germs itself. The ductwork in your HVAC system is a common area for mold and mildew to be found in a house, which is why you should do your best to ensure the cleanliness of the ductwork.
If mold gets in your air, it can trigger intense allergies and even cause infections and chronic health issues. Have your HVAC system inspected and cleaned at least once a year to keep it free of mold and mildew.
Always Take Off Your Shoes
Don’t wear shoes in your house. Shoes carry in all kinds of dirt, debris, and other bad stuff from outside. Do you want to track those contaminants all throughout your house? Anything you drag into your residence with your shoes can eventually be stirred up and turn up floating in the air. Not wearing shoes in the house seems like a small action, but the positive effects add up greatly over time.
If you have any questions about how you can improve the air quality in your home, give JAMCO Heating & Air Conditioning a call today at either our Pennsylvania or New Jersey office for all the information you need. We’re also very pleased to offer assistance with heating and cooling installation, repair, and maintenance as well as general sheet metal services.
