Making sure that your home is full of clean, fresh air is essential to your health. But sometimes, it can be hard to remember what exactly you’re breathing in when you’re at home. Here are some tips for keeping the quality of your indoor air high throughout winter so that you and those around you stay healthy all season long.
Ventilate Your Home
Even if you’re not running your heater this winter, your home is still capable of getting plenty of fresh air. The trouble is that the air outside and inside is coming into contact with each other all day long. This means you’re breathing in both types of air simultaneously, which means the air isn’t being adequately filtered or changed before you breathe them in.
During the colder months, you must keep your home ventilated. One of the best ways to do this is by turning on a ceiling fan in each room. This allows for warm air to mix with cold air in your home, which in turn prevents any one area in your house from getting too hot or too cold. If you don’t have fans or it’s too cold to turn them on, open your windows for a few hours each day to let fresh air in.
Apply Air Filters to Your Furnace
Along with ventilation, one of the best things you can do for your home’s air quality is to apply an air filter to your furnace. Air filters take all of the tiny particles in your air and trap them before they have a chance to enter your lungs. By applying an air filter, you are allowing for the indoor air to be less polluted overall.
Air filters are great because they can last for an extended period, making them a worthwhile investment. When choosing the right filter for your needs, it’s essential to take note of the square footage of your home, as this will inform you on how much square footage you need to be covered by the filter itself.
Keep Odors Out
Everyone knows that the smell of a smoky fireplace or the lingering odor from your dinner can linger for hours and end up in everyone’s lungs. To keep these smells out and fresh air in, use high-quality houseplants to absorb all of those unwanted odors.
There are plenty of plants that will help purify the air you breathe and make it smell better. Just remember to clean the plant every week or two so that you don’t keep collecting those smells over time.
While some odors are part of the winter experience, you shouldn’t have to endure any more than necessary. Keep your kitchen clean so that food smells don’t waft throughout your home unnecessarily. Open windows when cooking so these smells can be carried away by the breeze.
Install an AC Unit
Air conditioning units add a lot to the comfort level in your home. But they also make the air around you cleaner and easier to breathe. If you don’t already have an AC unit, consider installing one this winter so that you can keep indoor air clean and fresh during these cold months. Reach out to Bardi Heating, Cooling & Plumbing in Norcross if you need an AC installation.
A high-quality AC unit will bring down the temperature in your home so you can stay warm but not hot. It will also bring down the humidity, which means less moisture in the air to take a toll on your respiratory system.
Use a Humidifier for Dry Winter Air
One of the biggest problems with indoor air during winter is that it becomes too dry. This is not great for your skin, hair, or your nasal passages. Not only will dry air irritate these areas, but if you aren’t drinking enough water to compensate, then you are also risking dehydration.
Using a humidifier will help put moisture back into the air you’re breathing, keeping your skin, hair, and nose protected from the dry winter months ahead. It will also keep your mouth hydrated so that you don’t get sick quite as often, too.
Use a Vaporizer
A vaporizer is another great option for adding moisture back into the air. This product uses heat to turn a liquid solution into steam, which then evaporates and travels throughout your room. You can place this on your desk at work or in any other area where you spend a lot of time. By using one of these, you will notice an improvement in how your skin looks and feels.
A vaporizer is essential if your household includes someone who has asthma or any other respiratory health condition because the bacteria in eucalyptus oil can help clear congestion and make breathing easier. Always purchase vaporizers with a filter so that you don’t breathe in the steam as it releases into your room, though.
Keep Away From Harsh Chemical Cleaners
Whether you use a chemical cleaner to clean your floors, furniture, or countertops, these products can build up and linger for days. They stay in the air longer than any other kind of chemical, so they affect your health more than anything else.
When using cleaners to clean your home, choose natural cleaners that don’t have harsh chemicals in them. Not only will your home smell better, but you won’t have to deal with the toxic fumes and odors that chemical cleaners leave behind in their wake.
Keep Windows Closed During Cold Weather
One of the worst things you can do in cold weather is keeping your windows open, especially when it’s snowing outside. This only lets the cold and snow inside and keeps everything else out, which will cause your heating bills to skyrocket.
Instead, try using an insulated cover over your windows so that no cold air or snow can slip in, and all the heat stays inside where it belongs. This will help you maintain a more comfortable temperature inside while also saving you money on heating costs.
Open Your Blinds During the Day
Blinds help to control sun exposure throughout the day which can raise or lower indoor temperature levels. This is a great way to add warmth when you think it might be needed and lower temperatures when things start to get too hot or too soon.
Open your blinds during the day so that sunlight can come in and give you all the benefits of natural light such as vitamin D, improved mood, and a reduction in winter depression.
Use a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat helps you save money on your heating bill by automatically shutting off when you’re not home. This keeps the house cooler while you are out, reducing your heating bill during the times that it’s most expensive to turn on the heat in your home.
Program the thermostat to kick on about an hour before you get home from work or school so that when you walk in, everything is nice and toasty. Program it again just before bed so that you have some time to relax before you fall asleep.
Improving the air quality at your home during winter does not have to be as complicated as many take it to be. If you need AC installation in your home to improve the air quality, reach out to Bardi Heating, Cooling & Plumbing. Our highly trained technicians are specially trained in all aspects of installation, repair, and maintenance of central air systems for homes. Call us today for heating, cooling, and plumbing services in Norcross.
