Often taken for granted, air quality is an important factor in our day to day lives – both outside, as well as inside our homes and workplaces. It’s why at Just In Time Furnace Inc., we carry a variety of products that help with your indoor air quality from humidifiers and air cleaners that offer a healthier indoor air experience to updated vents and ductwork to improve overall energy efficiency. We even provide filters and residential and commercial duct cleaning.
Children, people with asthma, and the elderly may be especially sensitive to indoor pollutants, but even healthy individuals can experience effects on their health years later after repeated exposure to indoor toxins. Chemicals and allergens can accumulate in household dust for decades. Indoor allergens and irritants have become much more important in recent decades because we’re spending more time indoors and with modern airtight homes, these irritants can’t easily escape.
To help you keep your indoor air quality healthy, in addition to upgrading to a high efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, here a few simple tips for improving indoor air quality from the health care professionals at WebMD:
Keep your floors fresh:
Vacuum two or more times each week and use a HEPA filter to remove concentrated toxins and chemicals as well as allergens like pollen, pet dander, and dust mites from floors, walls, carpet edges, and upholstered furniture, where dust accumulates; Mopping picks up the dust that vacuuming leaves behind, and new microfiber mops (and dust cloths) reportedly capture more dust and dirt than traditional fibers and don’t require any cleaning solutions whatsoever; and, place a large floor mat at every door to prevent people from tracking in chemicals with the dirt on their shoes. Keep house shoes, slippers, and socks near the door.
Keep Healthy Humidity Levels:
Keeping humidity around 30-50 percent helps keep dust mites, mold, and other allergens under control. A dehumidifier helps reduce moisture in indoor air and effectively controls allergens, while your air conditioner can also reduce indoor pollen count. Here are a few more tips for dehumidifying your home:
• Use an exhaust fan or crack open a window when cooking, running the dishwasher, or bathing; • Don’t overwater houseplants; • Vent the clothes dryer to the outside; • Fix leaky plumbing to prevent moisture-loving mold; and, • Empty drip pans in your window air conditioner and dehumidifier.
Test for Radon:
This colorless, odorless gas significantly raises the risk of lung cancer and comes from the natural decay of uranium found in nearly all soils. It typically moves up through the ground and into your home through cracks and holes in the foundation. Testing is easy, inexpensive, and takes only a few minutes.
The last point seems obvious, but that’s often easier said than done - stop smoking. This corresponds closely to stopping the use of synthetic fragrances that emit dozens of different chemicals into the air. Look for fragrance-free or naturally-scented laundry products and cleaners, and stop using aerosol sprays. Rather try sliced lemons and baking soda to get a clean scent in the kitchen; open windows so toxic chemicals don’t build up in your home; and add a with a fern, spider plant, or aloe vera - these plants act as living air purifiers.
-Just In Time | Heating Air Conditioning & Duct Cleaning 10% Discount on All furnace & duct cleanings as well as furnace & A/C tune-ups.
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