Tips to Improve Indoor Air Quality This Winter

Fall is here and winter is well on its way, which means that the temperatures will continue to drop for the rest of the calendar year. With the colder weather always comes seasonal illnesses. Protect yourself and improve your indoor air quality as much as possible with these great tips from your Empire HVAC contractors. 

Steps to Breathing Better and Feeling Great

Utilize a free standing air filter anywhere in your home. All you need is an empty wall outlet and the press of a button and you are on your way to purer air at home.

Consider using a vacuum with a HEPA filter. This filter can easily rid your home of pollutants, allergens and toxins you could be breathing in everyday. By concentrating on the more commonly missed areas such as base boards and the sides of the refrigerator, you can purify your air during a weekly house chore.

Place an air filter in your furnace. By placing a filter inside of your furnace rather than in front, even the smallest air polluters can be caught early on. These types of filters are also cost-effective because they can easily be removed, wiped down, and put right back in the furnace, allowing for multiple use. They are also easy to replace.

Reduce pollutants in your home. Synthetic products,  which are often found in common household cleaners, can pollute the air with chemicals. When using these products, it is safest to your health to crack a window or use other means of ventilation.

Open your windows. This may seem like a silly method, but if it is a mild day outside, you may want to open the windows for a little while. Most windows are made to seal in the heat in the winter time, but that doesn’t allow a whole lot of fresh air in. By opening the windows you can eliminate airborne illnesses that may be making their rounds through your home.

Use a humidifier on the cool setting. The heat inside our homes in the winter can often be stale and have a dry feeling. Using a humidifier can work wonders when trying to cut through that dry air without having to turn your heat down. If you have a dry nose or throat, the humidifier will help open up your sinuses and relieve any pressure that you may have from the parched air.

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