Stop Air Irritants From Killing the Romance This Valentine's Day
There's nothing more romantic than the scent of rose petals, chocolate, and love on Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, poor indoor air quality can kill the smell of romance instantly. Dirt, dust, and other unsavory smells quickly turn-off the enchantment of any romantic evening.
Common Indoor Air Pollutants
- Carbon Monoxide: Homes usually have a bit of carbon monoxide in the air due in part to the use of natural gas-powered stoves and heaters in homes. Leaking chimneys, unchecked gas stoves, and even exhaust from cars in the attached garage introduce carbon monoxide into the home.
- Viruses or Bacteria: The home's air is the main highway for viruses and bacteria to spread through the house. Bacteria often gets brought in on shoes and pets, while viruses spread as soon as an occupant sneezes. Polluted air easily sends these biological pests through the house to reach the occupants.
- Tobacco Smoke and Residue: Homes with smokers have second-hand smoke that pollutes the air. It is extremely hard to remove all of the residues from smoking, and it usually requires the replacement of carpet and a good amount of paint to get rid of most of it.
- Allergens: Dust, pollen, dirt, and even dandruff are all common allergens that circulate through the polluted air of the home. The more allergens present, the more irritating the air is to those occupants with allergies, asthma, or breathing troubles.
- Mold & Mildew: Mold and mildew spores are a specific allergen well known for causing air problems. More troubling, these spores can settle and create a colony when moisture is added to the air. Excessive mold and mildew can prove hazardous to a household's health.
Getting Cleaner Air: Air Purifier vs. Air Sanitizer
Removing allergens, irritants, and pollutants from a home's air supply is essential to maintain comfort and health. Homeowners can invest in an air purifier, air sanitizer, or a combination unit of the two to help remove those harmful substances from the air.
- Air Purifier: An air purifier relies on filters to physically remove allergens and pollutants from the home's air supply. These filters are attached to the home's furnace and air conditioning units. A good air purifier has HEPA certified filters and often come with carbon-based filters that can catch and absorb gas pollutants in the air. Air purifiers tend to require frequent filter replacement but are more economical for homeowners to have installed.
- Air Sanitizer: Air sanitizers work to kill viruses, spores, and bacteria in the air. Air sanitizers typically utilize UV light to kill microorganisms, thus preventing illnesses and allergens from spreading through the home. Many systems also produce small amounts of ozone to clean the air without requiring air to be constantly pulled through a filtration system.
Many homes benefit from a system that combines air purifying filters and air sanitization lights connected to the HVAC system. A combination set up is the ultimate tool against most air pollution threats.
Simple Ways To Improve Indoor Air Quality
There are steps homeowners can take to improve a home's air quality alongside air purifiers or sanitizers.
- Replace Filters: How often are HVAC filters actually replaced in the house? Most of the time, the answer is not often enough. Filters in homes with pets, children, plants, or smokers need their filters replaced every six months or sooner to keep from clogging. Replacing air filters in the HVAC system will keep the air cleaner for longer in the home.
- Clean the House: There's an old saying that dust collects dust. It's true. Dirty homes collect allergens and pollutants like no other. Dusting, cleaning, vacuuming, and washing the house down stirs up the air, allowing allergens to be siphoned through the HVAC system to be cleaned.
- Remove Excessive House Plants: Houseplants have become a popular DIY remedy for improving air quality, but even though plants do produce oxygen, they also collect dust. Unless homeowners are dusting their plants often, the greenery can be more detrimental to air quality than helpful.
- Bring in Fresh Out (and Remove Stagnant Air): Opening windows is the first step most homeowners take to freshening up the air. It works, too. Bringing in the fresh air helps circulate the home's stagnant air through the vents to become cleaned by the HVAC filters. Homeowners can also put fans in or by the windows to draw out stagnant air and keep the cycle going.
Keep the scent of love in the air and the odor of pollutants out by purifying and improving the home's air quality!
About Air Now
Homeowners can't always wait for an HVAC technician; emergencies happen, and emergencies are what Air Now handles best! 365 days a year, the technicians at Air Now stand ready to serve the community of Sarasota, FL with the best heating and air quality technology and services around. Contact them today for expert indoor air quality service.
