Top 5 Ways to Boost Indoor Air Quality This Winter

Many of us seek solace from the freezing temperatures by locking the windows and cranking up the heat inside our homes. While this can mean special family time and fun nights around the fireplace, your indoor air quality may suffer from the lack of outdoor circulation. As you prepare to spend more time indoors, consider how to boost your indoor air quality to avoid any allergies, respiratory issues, and other ailments that come along with poor air quality.

From cleaning your air filters to vacuuming to maintaining your furnace, homeowners can do a few things to prepare for winter temperatures. In this blog, the expert team at Guin Service discusses the top five methods to improve your air quality this winter.

1. Clean or Replace Your Air Filter

Cleaning your filters is a quick fix to boost indoor air quality and promote the production of cleaner air for your family. If your filters aren't maintained, dust, dirt, and other particles can accumulate on your filters, effectively circulating dirty air around your home. To get the best indoor air quality, we recommend cleaning your air filters once per month and replacing them every three months. If you have multiple pets, live in a dusty climate, or have an older HVAC system, you may need to replace your filters more often.

2. Clean & Vacuum Regularly

The holiday season can be hectic, causing many of us to place cleaning our home at the bottom of our to-do lists. However, cleaning and vacuuming regularly can improve your indoor air quality. A dirty, dusty home can create higher levels of allergens, dust, and other pathogens that lead to respiratory problems, asthma, and even allergic reactions.

We recommend cleaning your home once per week, using non-toxic cleaning products, like Humble Suds All Purpose Cleaner and Molly Suds Unscented Detergent Powder. Assign high priority to your air vents, drapes, bedding, and clothing, as these items often accumulate harmful pollutants. If you can, vacuum your home with an HPA filter. An HPA filter traps harmful particles instead of releasing them back into the hair.

3. Schedule Duct Cleaning

Even with regular cleanings, your air ducts can still accumulate debris, dust, and pet dander. To boost your indoor air quality, we recommend scheduling professional air duct cleaning every 3 to 5 years. During a duct cleaning, a professional will inspect the ducts, clean them with Hypervac technology, and deep clean the surrounding system equipment. No dust or dirt will be left behind, and you and your family can breathe cleaner, fresher air.

If you're constantly suffering from poor indoor air quality, you may want to consider in-duct air purification. Our popular system, the REME HALO® Whole Home In-Duct Air Purifier, reduces bacteria, viruses, odors, and harmful pollutants with powerful UV light. This innovative system complements almost every HVAC system and is a game-changer for better indoor air quality.

4. Utilize a Humidifier

Indoor air quality isn't just dust, pollutants, and pet dander---but also humidity. Humidity is an important aspect of indoor air quality, so using a humidifier during the colder months may be beneficial. Cold air holds less moisture, so humidifiers can restore the proper humidity for your home during the winter months.

If your air is too dry, you and your family may experience respiratory problems, dry skin, dehydration, and other issues. With a humidifier, you can restore the much-needed moisture to your air. As an added bonus, moisturized air transfers heat better and keeps you warmer, so you also take some of the pressure off your hard-working heating system.

5. Maintain Your Heating System

Out of sight, out of mind isn't always the best policy, especially when it comes to your heating system. Whether you have a heat pump or furnace, annual maintenance checks are essential for the longevity and efficiency of your heating system. Without yearly maintenance, your system may accumulate dirt, toxins, and other materials that you can't even see, reducing your air quality.

During an annual check, your technician can clean the system, run diagnostic testing, and identify any problems before they occur. Not only can annual checkups ensure your system is running smoothly, but they can also boost indoor air quality throughout your home. We recommend scheduling these HVAC appointments during the fall, right before winter, and before it gets hot in the summer.

Indoor Air Quality Experts in Birmingham, AL

Make sure your indoor air quality is at its best before the holidays! Whether you need to schedule HVAC maintenance or want to learn more about improving indoor air quality, our team at Guin Service can help. Since 1958, we've been providing quality solutions for Birmingham and the surrounding areas. Contact us today to boost your indoor air quality and more.

Schedule HVAC Maintenance & Breathe Easier This Winter

Schedule HVAC maintenance, or contact us for repairs, with the experts in Birmingham, AL. From heating solutions to indoor air quality to duct cleaning services, our team can tackle it all and more. Call us at 205-407-1737 or contact us online to breathe easier this winter!