Keep a Your Home Cleaner and Your Air Fresher

Dust is a common problem in homes that can lower indoor air quality. Exposure to impurities such as dust in your home’s air can increase allergy and asthma symptoms, while causing headaches, sneezing and fatigue, along with throat and eye. Fortunately, you can keep your home relatively free of dust and increase the indoor air quality by implementing a few simple steps into your everyday life.

Dust your home twice a week using a damp microfiber cloth. The damp cloth will help prevent dust from reentering the air during the cleaning process. While dusting, start at the highest point and work your way down.
Vacuum at least once a week with a vacuum cleaner that features a HEPA filter, as the filter will help trap the dust that the vacuum sucks up. Always run the vacuum after you have dusted a room.
Regularly change your furnace filter. A dirty filter can no longer trap dust, and instead blows it back into your home, lowering indoor air quality. Furthermore, choose a high-quality filter, which will generally last longer and prevent more air impurities from entering your home.
If your home has blinds, dust them weekly with the recommended cloth above. Curtains tend to trap dust in their fibers and then redistribute dust into the air whenever they’re moved, so wash them regularly.
Consider getting rid of carpets and install hardwood floors. Carpet fibers trap allergens such as dander and dust, while hardwood floors are more hypoallergenic. In addition, hardwood floors increase the value of your home.

The best defense against dust is prevention, and you can help lower the amount of dust in your home by using one or more of the tips listed above. For more information improving indoor air quality, contact the specialists at T.F. O’Brien Cooling & Heating.

Dust image via Shutterstock.