3 Things You Can Do to Improve Winter Air Quality at Home

As temperatures drop and the windows are kept closed, you’re probably more likely to notice the air in your home. Is it stale? Smelly from the furnace turning on for the winter? Smelly from...something else? The air quality in your home is more important than ever in the winter, when you’re more likely to spend time inside. Here are three things you can do to keep your home fresh and your family healthy.

Change your filters

You should be changing your HVAC filter twice a year, in the spring and fall. It will naturally get dirty, and not only does a dirty filter cause dirty air to circulate in your home, but it’ll make your HVAC system less efficient. This means your home will be less comfortable while your energy bills rise due to the HVAC working overtime. If you notice this is happening even with a new filter, it’s probably time for an HVAC checkup.

Humidify - Upstairs

One of the biggest complaints in the winter is how dry it is. Dry skin, nosebleeds, sore throats, and constant static around the house are a huge annoyance. Dry air also increases dust, which means more cleaning, which is less than fun. Some newer furnaces have a humidifier built in, but if yours doesn’t, putting a small humidifier in bedrooms can make you more comfortable and your house less dusty.

Dehumidify - Downstairs

The one place you want to keep dry is the basement or crawl space. The space under your home will naturally be more humid since it’s below ground, and that moisture can cause mold issues. That mold can then travel up into the main living space via the HVAC system and cause allergy and asthma flare ups and upper respiratory infections.

In addition to a dehumidifier like our SaniDry system, it’s important to make sure the space is sealed. CleanSpace vapor barrier can create an airtight crawl space that not only stays dry all winter, but even helps keep the house a little warmer with some added waterproof insulation.

Between early sunsets, holiday parties, and days where the weather is too nasty to venture out in, you’ll probably be spending a lot of time at home in the next few months. Make sure you’re breathing easy.