As we welcome another winter season, there’s also the stark reminder that viruses and germs are lurking in the air. It’s a common belief that the cold outdoor temperatures are what make us more vulnerable to getting sick at this time of year, but did you know another cause could be your indoor environment?
We spend more time indoors in close proximity to others during the winter, breathing in dry, heated air. When air filtration and ventilation are poor, these factors together can increase your risk of exposure to viruses, bacteria, and other contaminants.
For lower risk of germ exposure during the winter, it’s important to do what you can to improve indoor air quality (IAQ). Here are four key steps we recommend.
Humidification
Indoor air can become dry during the winter, especially if you have a forced air heating system. This can lead to issues like dry and cracked skin, dry nose, sore throat, and aggravated allergy and asthma symptoms. What’s more is that many viruses like the cold and flu thrive in low humidity. A whole-house humidifier installed by Princeton Air will keep indoor humidity at safe and healthy levels during the winter.
Duct Cleaning
Do you know how clean your ductwork is? Many homes in the Princeton, NJ area have ductwork that contains allergens like dust, dirt, pollen, and mold. These contaminants then get circulated throughout the home for you and family members to breathe in. Duct cleaning can remove these allergens for your ductwork so that the air coming from your vents is cleaner and healthier.
Air Treatment
Even if you have relatively clean ductwork, your indoor air could have pollutants from high moisture areas or contaminants from household chemicals and furnishings. Air treatment services like air purifier installation, HEPA filter installation, and UV air treatment can remove allergens from the air and even kill viruses and bacteria that may be lurking in the air, giving you and your family peace of mind.
Ventilation
It’s important for your house to be tightly sealed against outside weather and pollutants; but this can also trap contaminated air inside, making that air two to five times more contaminated than the outside air. Whole-house ventilation creates a continuous exchange of stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air, all while maintaining a consistent indoor temperature.
