Is it getting stuffy in here?
Managing your home air quality requires a lot of attention if you don’t have the right tools. Cooking odors accumulate, pet dander lingers and scents from furniture, carpets and bathrooms can build.
It can be especially pronounced during the winter months when we tend to seal up our houses as much as possible to stay warm and energy efficient.
But regular maintenance, paired with a trick or two, can help you keep the air in your home healthy, odor-free and fresh.
Venting and Filter Maintenance
Not surprisingly, the air filter that traps many particles, allergens and odors before cycling through your furnace can have a major impact on your home’s air quality. Though it may not cause any odor, a dirty filter could be making your unit work harder and longer to provide the airflow necessary to your circulate the air in your home.
Many experts recommend cleaning or replacing your air filter about once a month, depending on how much your system is cycling on and off.
If your kitchen and bathrooms have vents, use them regularly. If not, consider having vents installed or finding alternative venting methods, such as an air purifier (see below).
When the outdoor air is a comfortable temperature, open windows and patio doors to let your house breathe. But be mindful of pollen counts, especially on breezy days, if someone in your home is allergic to airborne pollen.
Remove Odor and Pollutant Sources
If you’ve ever aired out your house only to find the smell return a few hours after you close your home back up, you likely have a persistent problem. Sometimes you may simply find some aging food. But, in other cases, carpets and furniture must be thoroughly cleaned.
One of the best ways to avoid serious health risks in your home is to remove the most dangerous toxins from your home and store them in an outdoor shed or storage locker. (For more on eliminating odors, see our related post.)
This includes paint, paint thinner, varnishes, kerosene, unused aerosols and other chemical products that you don’t need on a regular basis. And it helps to unpackage large items, such as carpet and furniture outside of the home, as well.
Also, consider testing for radon. This naturally-occurring gas seeps into homes of all ages, often through small cracks in the foundation, and it is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. The American Lung Association says that every home should be tested.
Humidifiers, Dehumidifiers and Air Purifiers
During the coldest days of winter in Austin, many homeowners begin to feel their home dry out as the heater runs. It’s one of the few times a year, for most homeowners, when it’s nice to have a humidifier on hand.
The additional humidity, typically in the bedroom for sleeping hours, can ease cold symptoms, dry sinuses and dry skin. But they require regular cleaning to prevent the growth of mold.
During the summer months, a dehumidifier may help eliminate musty smells and prevent the growth of mold and mildew, which many people are allergic to. You can get a small dehumidifier for a bedroom or bathroom or have an in-home dehumidifier, which usually requires professional installation.
Lastly, allergy suffers and those with persistent home odors can benefit from air purification fans equipped with HEPA filters. The acronym stands for high-efficiency particulate arrestance, and it’s a fancy way of saying it filters out a lot of the tiny particles that you typically notice in a shaft of sunlight, including pet dander, dust mites and pollen.
The units come in a wide variety of shapes and price points, ranging from small room purifiers for around $60 to $500-plus models with multi-stage filters and automatic air quality detection.
If that doesn’t sound right for your family, remember that household plants help filter air, as well. See an in-depth view of that here.