QUICK TIPS
Simple Ideas for Better Home Air Quality

Contributing Author: Alan Freestone / Ogden, Utah

Healthy Home: Simple tips to improve Air Quality

• 1. Change your furnace filters often. Best every 30 days. Very minimum every 3 months.
• 2. Cycle your furnace blower on when you are dusting or vacuuming. This can be done at your thermostat by turning switch to fan "on" (if your system is wired for this option). Leave on for 15 minutes after dusting is completed.
• 3. Turn on your kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans regularly. This helps provide a fresh air exchange in the home. Verify that your exhaust fans all vent directly to the outside, rather than into dead air spaces, such as attics.
• 4. Replace that old vacuum cleaner with a new one. One that can be fitted with a HEPA filter. Be thorough when you vacuum. 6 or 7 passes over the same area will ensure that your carpets are cleaned deeper.
• 5. If it's not too cold or hot outside, open your windows and let the fresh air replace the old stale air in your house.
• 6. Bathe your pets often.
• 7. Keep your Cat's litter box away from your heating and cooling system outlets and inlets.
• 8. Lay down door mats at all entrances into your home. Positioned on both sides of the door is a good idea. This will help capture allergens before they enter the home. Make it a policy that all entering must scrub their feet on the mats.
• 9. Make your home a "No Shoes Zone".
• 10. Wash all bed linens once per week in Hot water. Washing in warm water kills less than 10% of dust mites. Hot water (140*F) kills 100% of the ugly little pests.
• 11. Upgrade the filtration at your air handler or furnace. Standard 1" media filters are quite ineffective. At the very least, upgrade to a pleated filter with a MERV-10 rating.
• 12. Consider adding an electronic air cleaner, or a passive HEPA filtration system.
• 13. Consider installation of an HRV (heat recovery ventilator) or an ERV (energy recovery ventilator).

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