When your home has poor air quality in the winter, it can be very frustrating to walk in the door. You know you can’t throw open some windows to get rid of the smells, dust, allergens, or other air quality issues you have. So, how can you fix your indoor air quality, for good? Here are some great things to try.
What Causes Bad Winter Indoor Air Quality?
If it seems like your air quality drops after the fall, there are a few different causes of that. First, you turn on your furnace again and your ducts spread their dust and debris through the home. Without open windows, your air becomes stale, especially if your bathroom or kitchen doesn’t have their own vents. Humidity also drops dramatically in the winter too.
How to Improve Indoor Air Quality
In the winter, use these techniques to improve your indoor air quality:
- Better vacuuming: Many vacuums collect dust and dirt, only to blow the smallest particles back out the exhaust. Use a HEPA-filter vacuum to collect this debris so you don’t have to breathe it in.
- HEPA filters: If vacuuming with a HEPA-filter is not enough, add a dedicated filter to your home. They can pick up mold spores, bacteria, some viruses, allergens, pet dander, dust, and much more. Some are equipped with carbon filters that can absorb smells and other air pollutants too.
- Whole-Home Humidifier: One of the biggest factors in poor winter air quality is low humidity. In Canada, our winter humidity drops so low that we get dry skin, eyes, mouth, throat, and even lungs. For many, this causes serious irritation. For some who have skin or lung conditions, even asthma, the dryness makes their symptoms worse. A whole-home humidifier is a great way to combat this because it will raise humidity throughout the home, instead of just in one room as other humidifiers do.
- Duct cleaning: If you use a forced-air system, with a furnace, then you have air ducts running through your home. These ducts need to be cleaned, or they spread debris and dirt through the home. Cleaning them can help you breathe easier.
- Local venting: Some parts of the home create more of an air quality problem than others. In the warmer seasons, you might just open a window. But, in winter, it can be helpful to have a dedicated vent for the kitchen, bathroom, garage, and other troublesome areas of the home.
Indoor Air Quality Testing
Which specific solution to improve indoor air quality is best for you? While you might have some guesses, it can be wise to get professional indoor air quality testing to confirm, or to learn more about exactly what has gone wrong with your air quality in the winter.
As the weather gets colder and we spend more time indoors, get your indoor air quality to the optimal level. We have many different indoor air quality options, contact us today to learn which one is best for you and your family.
