Heating and Cooling

Thirteen Ways to Control Allergies in Your Home:

1. Change your furnace filter. Inspecting and replacing your furnace filter regularly helps your HVAC system filter out allergens more efficiently.

2. Leave your shoes at the door. And change your clothes after spending time outdoors. Otherwise you’re simply tracking in pollen and other outdoor allergens and distributing them throughout your home.

3. Wash sheets and pillowcases weekly in hot water. Encasing pillows, mattresses and box springs in plastic covers will also help control the growth of dust mites.

4. Install an air purifier like the PureAir™ Air Purification System from Lennox. Air purifiers remove small, breathable particles of dust, dirt, pollen and allergens to improve your home’s air quality. The PureAir system also removes airborne mold spores, bacteria, viruses, odors and chemical vapors to help you breathe a sigh of relief.

5. Kill mold now. If you’re allergic to pollen and pet dander, you’re probably sensitive to mold spores, too. Mold loves to grow where it’s warm and damp (like the bathroom), so each week clean bath mats in hot water and clean the corners of your shower or tub. Always turn on the ventilation fan while you’re taking a shower.

6. Use a germicidal light to kill contaminants. Ultraviolet lights like the Healthy Climate® UV Germicidal Light attach to your home’s furnace or air handler, destroying contaminants at their source and removing them before the air is recirculated into your home.

7. Target pests. Cockroaches and mice have allergens in their saliva and droppings that can make you sneeze. Be sure to clean regularly under your stove and refrigerator to remove crumbs, and don’t leave dishes in the sink.

8. Vacuum using a HEPA filter system or double-layer bags. Dust mites take up residence in your living room, bedroom, anywhere there’s upholstery and carpet. Use the vacuum’s upholstery attachment to remove pet hair from furniture, and keep pets off chairs as much as possible.

9. Add a multipurpose air-purification system. Choose an indoor air quality system that attacks small particles such as dust and dirt, airborne mold spores and viruses, even odors and chemical vapors.

10. Replace or clean your HVAC system’s filter once a month. You’ll not only remove airborne pollutants, but protect your system’s energy efficiency.

11. Remove clutter. Knickknacks, books, magazines and stuffed animals collect dust. Store them away in plastic bins to keep your home cleaner.

12. Replace kitchen sponges once a week. The moist environment of a sponge is a breeding ground for bacteria – more than 100,000 bacteria per square inch. Sponges can also be soaked in bleach 15 minutes to help kill bacteria.

13. Use microfiber cloths to dust without chemicals. Once used, they can be tossed in the washer to clean for reuse. Dust high to low surfaces first, and then vacuum last.

Source: Lennox | Comfort Matters newsletter

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Tags: air purification products, Air Quality, Allergies, furnace filter, furnace repair, home air quallity, prevent allergies

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 at 1:42 pm and is filed under Air Quality, Furnace, Furnace Repair, Heating. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.