Allergies. The one thing that you dread as summer encroaches on Savannah, Georgia. You do your best to make your home a sanctuary, where those nasty allergens are never welcome. However, invitation or no, allergens and irritants tend to somehow find a way into your home anyway. But fear not, hope is not lost. If you follow a few simple steps, your home can become the comfortable, allergy-free sanctuary you’ve always wanted. Here are five foolproof ways to rid your home of allergens.
Give Extra Attention to Your Pets
Believe it or not, one of the most prevalent allergens in your home may not be coming from outside at all. If you have a pet, you have a walking breeding ground for one of the most annoying irritants: dander. Pet dander is basically just dead skin cells, but it’s not the dead skin that’s the issue. In an attempt to get rid of the dander, dogs and cats lick themselves, and it’s the saliva that covers the dander in allergy-provoking proteins.
If you clean your pets often and keep their hair short, you’re more likely to contain the dander issue. Also, if your allergies are really bad, try to keep them from licking your face.
Install a Whole-Home Air Cleaner
Standard HVAC air filters do a decent job of trapping allergens, but why trap them when you can kill them? Whole-home air cleaners are installed as just another part of the HVAC system. They trap more dust, mold spores, dirt, and other irritants than a standard filter, and then it kills those baddies. With a whole-home air cleaner installed, you can be sure that you’re always breathing clean air.
Keep it Outside
While it may be difficult to keep every speck of dirt outside, you can take measures to prevent too much from getting indoors. Many allergens get into your home by hitchhiking on the shoes of you, your family, and your guests. Once it’s inside, it becomes a part of the airflow in the home. You can reduce the severity of this issue by asking guests to remove their shoes by the door, and/or by placing a large doormat by the front door. It may not catch everything, but it’s a start.
Install a Dehumidifier
In the winter, sometimes too little humidity can cause an issue for your indoor air quality and worsen your allergies. But in the summer, too much humidity becomes an issue. Air that is too moist becomes a breeding ground for mold and other fungi. It can even grow in your HVAC system’s duct network, where it is then spread throughout the entire home.
The solution: A whole-home dehumidifier. It works with your HVAC system much like an air cleaner and brings your humidity down to a healthy and comfortable level.
Clean Often
Okay, we know this sounds like a given, but it cannot be stressed enough. Dust gets everywhere, and dust isn’t just dirt, it also contains bug and plant particles, dead skin, and who knows what else. Dust falls in your bedsheets, on your blankets, all over your floor and furniture, and even in the hard-to-reach places. Keep these areas clean.
Give extra attention to your floor, which not only attracts dust, but is also covered in the allergens riding into your home. We know it can be a pain sometimes, but also be sure to wash bedsheets and pillowcases once a week. Breathing in the dust and allergens that fall on your pillows is definitely not healthy.
Making your home a clean and healthy environment will not only help you feel better, but it will also make your home more comfortable, and your HVAC system even more efficient. If you would like further help with increasing your indoor air quality, give Byrd Heating and Air Conditioning a call at 912-373-8447.
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