As soon as the weather starts to heat up outside the spring allergies season will be hitting us (some harder than others!). Allergy sufferers often have to battle with the outside allergens as well as the indoor ones. When going inside your home to avoid allergens blowing around outside this spring, you many still find your home isn’t the perfect haven you were hoping for.

According to Aaron Marshbanks, a board member of National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NDCA) states, “When the house is closed up for the winter, pollutants in the air have nowhere to go. Then spring rolls around, and the natural thing to do is to open up your windows and bring new air into your home. However, this is when allergy season is at its highest, and you’re welcoming new pollutants into your home and contaminating your air with pollens.”

Here are some tips to help you breathe easier and provide cleaner air to your home:

• Have your heating and cooling system thoroughly cleaned, during a regularly scheduled yearly tune-up. Dust and air pollutants collect in the vents and then are picked up by the air stream and blown back into your home. A system cleaning helps reduce the amount of particles and contamination that circulate through your home.
• Regularly change your furnace filter. This helps remove particles circulating through the air. When a filter becomes dirty they can restrict the airflow through your heating and cooling system. A dirty filter will greatly reduce the efficiency of your HVAC system.
• Improve the air filters on your furnace. Many of us use the spun glass filter that costs less than a dollar that we get at the local do-it-yourself store. While this filter protects the blower motor it will do next to nothing when it comes to improving your indoor air. Upgrade to a pleated filter that captures smaller particles, some so small the naked eye cannot see.
• Consider installing a whole-house air purification system to your central air system. It’s the particles you can’t see that you need to worry about, virus-sized particles and bacteria, allergens, respirable dust and other airborne contaminants. A Whole-House Air Cleaner can provide relief, up to 40 times more efficiently than standard filters, from these irritants.

Contact your Indianapolis area Indoor Air Quality Experts at Mister Quik.

1 Akron.com (“Make sure your indoor air is healthy this spring”, 3/11/2010)