Water Damage & Flooded Basement Restoration Services

Easy Ways to Clean Your Indoor Air

By the RestorationSOS Educational Staff

Ever notice just how much more comfortable your home feels when you throw open windows and doors and let the house air out? It isn’t just in your head; it is a very real result that comes from simply allowing fresh air to circulate throughout the area, and something that may be very good for homes on a regular basis.

The EPA recently concluded that indoor residence air may be two to five times more polluted than outside air and even newer homes routinely test higher when it comes to poor air quality. More recent construction techniques provide for tighter seals and more airtight units and rooms. This helps when it comes to heating and air bills, but it also serves to keep unhealthy air locked inside a home until it is allowed out.

It may sound strange, but a drafty home may, in many cases, be a healthier home because stale air has a means by which it can be circulated out of the residence, allowing fresher air to come in. There are four basic steps that are recommended to keep indoor air as clean and healthy as possible.

Steps to Keeping Indoor Air Clean

Keep the home clean. This sounds simple, but allowing dirt and dust to build up on floors and shelves means that dirt and dust particles are going to end up floating in the surrounding air. Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter to prevent the vacuum process from simply kicking dust back into the air.

Clean your air ducts. Ductwork in your home may become saturated with dust and dirt over time, and the simple activation of your AC or heating can put dirty particles in the air throughout your home. Ductwork should also be sealed to prevent loss of heat and improve indoor air quality.

Upgrade the air filters on your furnace. Changing filters isn't something we routinely think about and we often choose the least expensive filter options. Upgrade to a pleated filter that is designed to catch errant particles and clean the air in your home. Pleated filters are more expensive and need to be changed more often, but they are also the best choice when it comes to keeping your indoor air quality high.

Purchase an indoor air purifier. These units vary in size and cost, so you’ll need to choose the unit that is sufficient for your home. Most manufacturers offer 30-day in-home trials, which is usually plenty of time to determine if a given unit is working properly.

Of course, as mentioned earlier, you can also open windows and doors whenever the weather outside is agreeable. The change in the air that you feel is very real, and you've just done everybody in the home a favor by improving the overall air quality.

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