After keeping your home sealed tight over the long winter, your home is in desperate need of a thorough spring cleaning. However, did you know you can clean your air too? Here is your Spring 2021 air quality guide to help freshen your indoor air quality to help reduce symptoms of allergies and asthma.
1. Reduce Dust and Allergen Accumulation
The more you clean, the fewer allergens there are in your home to contribute to poor air quality. Cleaning tasks that help reduce the dust, pet dander, mould, and allergens in the air include:
- Cleaning Floors: Vacuum your carpets and area rugs once or twice a week using a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner. For hard floors such as wood, laminate, tile, etc. wipe away dust with a dry or damp microfiber mop. While hard surfaces won’t hold as much dirt as carpet, they still can accumulate dust and dirt.
- Laundering Bedding: Soft surfaces attract and hold allergens including pet hair and dander. Washing your bedding in hot water of at least 54° C is recommended every three to four days. To reduce dust mites, choose dust mite–proof mattress and pillow covers.
- Vacuuming Soft Surfaces: Use a vacuum brush on soft surfaces such as drapes to reduce allergens. You can also vacuum between the seat cushions on your couch and chairs, and carefully use the brush on lamp shades.
One last cleaning tip is to reduce clutter in your home. Clutter collects dust and makes it harder to clean your home’s surfaces.
2. Avoid Indoor Plants
Indoor plants are real dust magnets often overlooked in the cleaning process. Even worse, they can promote mould growth. Removing plants from the home is advised for those with allergies. Although many people keep house plants because they believe they can improve indoor air quality, the risks outweigh the benefits.
Dreading the seasonal allergy season? No need to worry. When you improve your air quality in your home, it can make a big difference. To learn more, contact our team at Advantage ClimateCare today.
3. Change Your HVAC Air Filters
Changing your air filters in your heating and cooling system is something you should be doing more frequently than every spring. However, the season is a good reminder to switch to new electrostatic filters. They capture airborne irritants so they can’t recirculate in your home.
4. Duct Cleaning
Spring is the perfect time to schedule an annual duct cleaning to remove a long list of air contaminating woes including:
- Dust
- Dirt
- Moulds
- Bugs
- Mites
A duct cleaning also improves airflow in the home which makes your system more efficient.
5. Buy an Air Purifier
Air purification kills moulds using ultraviolet light. By installing an air purification system in your home you keep your air clean and reduce odours associated with certain volatile organic gases, such as paint thinners, glues, and pesticides.
As spring approaches, you may want to check on your air quality in your home. To learn more about what you can do to improve the air quality in your home, contact our experts today!
