Dust might seem like a minor nuisance in your Howard County, Maryland, home, but it can quickly become a serious concern. Learn seven tips to keep your home dust free and help your family breathe clean air.
Stop Dust at the Door
The dust that accumulates on your furniture, countertops, and floors is made up mostly of dead skin cells. That’s not all, though. You’ll also find pollen, dirt, and other outdoor debris in household dust.
While you can’t keep your family members or pets from shedding a few skin cells here and there, you can keep dirt and debris outside where it belongs. Invest in both outdoor and indoor doormats, and place them at every entrance. Encourage family members and visitors to leave coats and shoes at the door and keep windows closed to stop dirt and pollen from circulating through your home.
Schedule Weekly Cleaning Sessions
If you don’t clean your home regularly, dust will inevitably accumulate. Your schedule might not allow you to clean as often as you like but you should aim for at least weekly deep-cleaning sessions.
Vacuum carpet and rugs thoroughly, sweep and mop hardwood and laminate floors, and dust all surfaces. To prevent dust from becoming airborne as you clean, try trapping it with a microfiber cloth. Don’t miss easy-to-forget spots like vent covers or hard-to-reach areas like ceiling fan blades. Change linens and wash pillowcases and duvet covers weekly, too.
Reconsider Carpet and Fabric
Hard surfaces are relatively easy to keep dust-free, especially if you commit to weekly cleaning sessions. Carpet, rugs, upholstery, and curtains present their own set of challenges, though. Highly textured fabrics and floor coverings can hold a large amount of dust and release the particles into the air every time you come in contact with them.
Regular vacuuming can help, but it might not alleviate the situation completely. If your family is particularly sensitive to dust or dust mites, consider replacing carpet with hardwood and curtains with blinds.
Change the Air Filter
If your family suffers from asthma or dust mite allergies, you need to keep your home’s indoor air as pure as possible. Start by changing the air filter that traps dust, dirt, and debris before it enters your HVAC system. This filter’s main job is to keep your HVAC system clean, but it also reduces indoor pollution.
The kind of filter your system uses will determine how often you need to change it. Some filters are reusable and only need to be washed. Keeping up with filter changes will improve your home’s air quality. At Coastal Heating & Air Conditioning, we recommend replacing yours as recommended to eliminate as much dust, pollen, and pet dander as possible.
Don’t Skip HVAC Maintenance
Your HVAC system needs much more than air filter changes to keep your home dust-free. Schedule annual HVAC maintenance, and our knowledgeable technicians will remove any accumulated dust and grime from the system, lubricate moving parts, and check the wiring.
We’ll also make sure your system is operating efficiently and keeping your indoor air quality at desirable levels. Our technicians will also check your ductwork for accumulated dust or mold and look for cracks and leaks, which can allow contaminants to enter your home.
Use an Air Purifier
If an air filter alone doesn’t do enough to improve your home’s air quality, installing an air purifier is a smart choice. Our Performance Air Purifier PGAP works with your HVAC system to capture 75 percent of airborne contaminants as small as .3 microns. It also eliminates three common pathogens from the air supply.
Our Infinity Air Purifier GAPA gives your home’s air quality an even bigger boost. In addition to trapping dust, pollen, animal dander, and smoke, this device also kills up to 95 percent of pathogens as small as .3 microns.
Invest in a Dehumidifier
Dust mites love humid spaces, which means they will thrive in an overly humid home. If your HVAC system struggles to keep the humidity level below 50 percent, invest in a whole-home dehumidifier. This device works seamlessly with your existing HVAC system to keep humidity at a healthy level.
Your home’s indoor air quality is nothing to sneeze at. For HVAC maintenance and effective indoor air quality solutions, call Coastal Heating & Air Conditioning Co., Inc. at 410-919-0110 for more information or to schedule an appointment.
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