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Feel better this flu season
When it’s chilly enough to light a fire or use your furnace full-time, it’s also time for the sniffles and sneezing and coughing to start. Sealing your home air-tight to keep out cold winds can also impact your home’s air quality — and your health.
Fifty percent of illnesses are caused or made worse by poor air quality in the home, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Airborne pollutants such as mold, dust and dust mites, pet dander, bacteria and viruses trigger respiratory problems.
Excessively dry indoor air saps the moisture from your skin. Dry air also feels chillier than the actual temperature, and you’re more likely to feel tired and achy.
Here’s how you can feel better without reaching for the medicine cabinet:
- Dust your home regularly with a damp cloth to avoid stirring up dust and dirt.
- Keep windows slightly open during warmer days to air out your home. Installing a ventilation system keeps your home well ventilated without heat escaping through open windows.
- Wash sheets once a week in hot water, and launder mattress pads, blankets and comforter covers once a month to kill dust mites.
- Zap those dust mites by using hot water to wash children’s stuffed animals, or zip the toys into plastic bags and freeze overnight.
- Keep bacteria at bay by cleaning out your refrigerator every month. Also, clean sink drains twice a week with an antibacterial solution.
- Scrub down bathroom and kitchen fixtures regularly. Sterilize cellulose sponges by running them through the dishwasher.
- An air cleaner or filtration system can capture bacteria and other small particles so you’ll breathe a little easier.
There are several types of indoor air quality systems that work along with your heating and cooling system to keep your home healthier.Learn more about these systems at Lennox.com
