As soon as winter air arrives in Fayetteville, North Carolina, you may feel your health start to decline. You can’t stop coughing, you’ve run out of tissues twice this week, and your head keeps throbbing. Winter can wreak havoc on your indoor air quality, but some simple actions can reduce the pollutants roaming in your home.
How Winter Affects Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is a year-round issue, but you’ll likely notice its effects more often in the winter. You’re likely to spend more time indoors, which means you’ll be more susceptible to indoor air pollution. That pollution may be caused by dust, volatile chemicals that come from some cleaners, dust mites, viruses (which are more likely to prosper in the winter), and poorly ventilated stale air. Since you’re probably not bringing in as much fresh air in the winter, those germs and other particles that enter your home are recirculated.
How to Improve Air Quality in the Winter
A winter free of indoor air pollution requires some action on your part. You can start reducing pollutants by regularly cleaning your home. Vacuum often, especially in areas of your home that see more traffic, which may include your furniture. Dust all the surfaces that need it and wash your bedding often.
As often as you can, open your windows and let in fresh air. Winters in North Carolina are usually milder than in other areas, so you should be able to air out your home without freezing yourself. Ventilate windowless areas of your home, such as your bathroom to remove hazardous particles and regulate humidity.
HVAC devices can also help improve your indoor air quality during the winter. An air purifier, for example, will catch more hazardous particles than your standard HVAC filter. A whole-home ventilator will draw in fresh air without bringing in the nasties that may come along for the ride.
Don’t let poor indoor air quality ruin your winter. For a professional hand in improving your air quality, call Cape Fear Air Conditioning, Heating & Electrical Company, Inc. at 910-216-9394.
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