The air inside your home can actually be more polluted than what is outside, especially here in Colorado Springs where outdoor pollution is a lot lower than major cities like New York and Los Angeles.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America states that indoor air quality is one of the top five environmental health risks — a risk increased by the fact that Americans spend 95% of their day indoors and in cars, says University of Texas indoor air quality researcher Richard Corsi.
So what steps are you taking to ensure your family are safe from these indoor toxins? Many causes of this pollution are in places you don’t even see or notice such as in your carpet, air ducts and even every day household products.
Cleaning your air filters every 3-9 months and replacing them once a year can dramatically reduce the pollution floating around your home. This will also help to protect your heating and cooling systems and allow them to run more efficiently. Your owner’s manual will contain specific recommendations for cleaning and replacing air filters as some air filters are made to be cleaned, while others are disposable and should be replaced instead.
To clean your filters open the vent and remove the filter. If possible, take the filter outside for cleaning. Use cleaning brush to scrub off caked-on dust and debris. Then take a vacuum and use the hose to suction remaining loose material from the filter. Once the loose dirt has been removed, turn the filter over and run warm water at a low pressure through the filter in the opposite direction of air flow. Allow the filter to completely dry and then reinstall.
In the event that you need to replace your air filter and are unsure as to the size air filter that you need, remove the old filter first. The sizes are printed on the frame of each filter. When you put the new filter into place make sure that the arrows on the edge face the correct way. The air flow moves from the room into the vent, so arrows should face away from you into the air duct.
Replacing and cleaning your filters is only one of many things you can do to reduce the air pollution flowing throughout your home, but it is an important step to keeping your family safe and healthy. You can always contact Asthma & Allergy Associates for more ways to keep your home allergy safe.