Controlling Airborne Dust While Your Home’s Fighting The Cold

Many people in northeast Ohio experience an increase in dust during the colder winter months. There are a few reasons for this including lower indoor humidity levels, less natural ventilation because windows and doors are sealed, and more air circulating through your ductwork and living spaces. Controlling airborne dust is important not just for keeping your home clean, but also for protecting your family’s health.

Airborne dust can carry with it other unwanted particles like pet dander and bacteria. Regularly dusting and vacuuming your home can help remove the particles that have already settled, but to get the best results, you should try preventing the problem before it starts. There are a few measures you can take to help reduce dust and other airborne particles in your home:

• Change air filters: During the heating season you should change the air filters in your furnace at least once a month and more frequently if they become dirty.
• Control humidity: Dry air can cause dry skin, which contributes significantly to household dust. Low humidity can also cause wood finishes to crack and flake, not only damaging your furnishings, but also adding particles to the air. Even if the dust in your home does not increase, low humidity can aggravate sinuses and cause respiratory irritation, making the presence of any dust particles have more of an impact.
• Add ventilation: When your home is tightly sealed in winter, old air cannot be easily replaced with fresh air unless you have a ventilation system. Installing a whole-house ventilation system is a low-cost way to improve indoor air quality and reduce unwanted odors in your home.

If you are interested in learning more about home comfort systems that can reduce airborne dust and improve your indoor air quality, call the professionals at Stack Heating, Cooling, Plumbing and Electric for advice. We can help you select the equipment that will best meet your air cleaning goals, and professional installation and maintenance will ensure that your indoor air stays clean and fresh all year long.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about controlling airborne dust and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Stack Heating services Cleveland, Ohio and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!