The summer allergy season can be stressful for people who suffer from allergy symptoms such as runny nose, cough, sore throat and itchy eyes. In southwest Ohio, the warm weather can bring some real and irritating symptoms for allergy sufferers, and while retreating to the indoors is recommended to alleviate symptoms, air quality inside the home can be just as unhealthy and irritating, or more so.
Following a few steps during the peak of allergy season can help improve your indoor air quality:
- Vacuum Frequently: Vacuuming your floors every couple of days during allergy season can improve indoor air quality. Many vacuums have HEPA filters in them, and this helps remove particles from the carpet fibers that can be irritating to the sinuses if stirred up and inhaled.
- Replace Your Filters: Change the filters in your HVAC system once a month during high-use seasons and try to utilize filters with a relatively high MERV rating (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) to remove the most particles and odors from the air. MERV 13 to 16 filters are good for household use, removing a high percentage of pollutants without impeding circulation of air through your system.
- Air Out: Pollen levels are highest outside in the early morning hours. In the evening take an hour or so to open a few windows or doors and let some fresh air in. It’s important to recycle the stale air with new air from the outside everyday.
You can also contact Ace Hardware Home Services, Inc. to have your indoor air quality assessed to ensure your humidity levels are adequate. You should also have your heating and cooling equipment serviced periodically to make sure everything is running efficiently. You can advance your indoor air quality by knowing what problems might be occurring in your home and being aware of the necessary steps to fix them.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Ace Hardware Home Services services the Ohio’s Miami Valley. To get started, check out our website or request an appointment.
