Frigid temperatures and unpleasant weather keep us all indoors more often than not during Wisconsin winters, but poor air quality can make the experience less than cozy. Maintaining habitable temperatures means keeping the outside air where it belongs as much as possible, but this also means a general lack of fresh air. Pollen, spores, pollutants, odors, and dust are trapped in your home, causing everything from musty odors to genuine health problems.
Turning up the heat doesn’t have to mean bringing down the air quality level, though. With a few basic tips and tricks, you can keep your home warm and inviting. Talk about breathing a sigh of relief!
- Keep Up the Duct Work – Pollutants and irritants can lurk in neglected HVAC ductwork, wreaking havoc with indoor air quality. Having ducts inspected and cleaned not only gives you a significant air quality boost; it can also help you isolate problem areas where you may be losing valuable and expensive heat. While you’re at it, consider having your furnace cleaned and checked, as well. Maintaining your furnace and its filter is one of the first lines of defense against airborne irritants. Still, it also keeps your system running more efficiently while helping to increase its overall lifespan.
- Maintaining a Delicate Humidity Balance – Ideally, indoor air humidity levels should remain between 30% and 50%. During the winter, heating your home can send those numbers plummeting. Too little humidity can create a range of problems, but there can always be too much of a good thing. Monitor your home’s humidity level, but don’t let things get too moist; this creates the ideal breeding ground for mold and mildew growth. Tilt too far in either direction on the humidity scale, and your air quality will suffer.
- Keep it Clean – Cleaning a house may not be many people’s idea of a good time, but it’s another essential part of maintaining good air quality. Thorough, regular cleaning is particularly true in homes with carpeting, which is notorious for harboring all kinds of dust, mold, dander, and allergens.
If your home’s air quality has you down, we can help. From HVAC cleaning and maintenance to helping you find creative solutions for your unique concerns; we’ve got you covered.
