How to Breathe Clean in Your Home This Summer

When summer reaches its peak in Stafford, Texas, heat and humidity can seriously compromise air quality in your home. Breathe clean indoors with these six DIY and high-tech methods.

Change the Air Filter

Keep your home’s indoor air fresh and clean by replacing the HVAC system’s air filter every month all summer long. You’ll keep air quality high while optimizing your HVAC system’s energy consumption by sticking to a monthly schedule during the summer season. Once cooler fall temperatures arrive and your air conditioning needs decrease, you can lower the frequency to every three months.

Can’t remember the last time you replaced the air filter? It’s probably time you scheduled an HVAC system tune-up with Davis Air Conditioning. We recommend preventative maintenance twice a year to keep your HVAC system running smoothly and your family breathing easy.

Rely on an Air Cleaner

If replacing or upgrading the air filter doesn’t seem to do enough to improve your indoor air quality, consider investing in an air cleaner. This device works with your existing HVAC system to capture up to 90 percent of the microscopic pathogens in your home’s air supply. Check with the knowledgeable HVAC technicians at Davis Air Conditioning to learn which of our air cleaners will best meet your family’s air quality and efficiency needs.

Rethink Your Cleaning Routine

Whether you love a clean home or you prefer to embrace the mess, you can take steps to make your cleaning routine healthier for your family. Start by planning a top-to-bottom cleaning once a week. Vacuum carpets thoroughly, sweep and mop floors, and dust surfaces. Don’t forget to vacuum upholstered furniture and clean curtains regularly, too. When you clean your home regularly, you’ll drastically reduce the dust, pollen, pet dander, and other contaminants circulating through the air.

Instead of using harsh commercial cleaning supplies, consider using gentler products or items you have around the house. Switch to natural cleansers like lemon juice, white vinegar, baking soda, and castile soap, and you’ll eliminate the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that harsh cleaning products release into the air.

Seal Cracks and Leaks

Vintage homes in the Stafford area offer plenty of character, but they don’t always measure up when it comes to energy efficiency. Over time, homes settle, which can lead to small cracks in the foundation, openings in the attic, and leaks around windows and doorframes. These openings aren’t always easy to see, but they allow outdoor air to seep in and increase indoor contaminants.

Keep indoor air pollution at a minimum by stopping outdoor air in its tracks. Use weatherstripping to seal leaks around windows and doorframes. In the attic, add insulation where necessary, and use epoxy or foam to seal openings in your home’s foundation.

Improve Ventilation

Sick of breathing stale air in your home? Poor ventilation might be the culprit, especially if your home doesn’t show signs of cracks in the foundation or leaks around doors and window frames.

Instead of simply opening your windows and letting in the steamy outside air, take a measured approach to ventilation. At Davis Air Conditioning, our line of Performance Energy Recovery Ventilators is designed to flush out stale air while maintaining a steady supply of fresh, clean air. These innovative ventilators even go the extra mile to capture energy from outgoing air and use that energy to pre-condition the incoming air. That means your family will enjoy ample fresh air without worrying about added energy costs.

Lower Humidity Levels

High humidity can make summer temperatures feel unbearably high outdoors, and excess moisture can cause allergens like dust mites to thrive indoors. Consider installing a whole-home dehumidifier to tackle uncomfortable humidity levels in your home, or try a few DIY methods to keep excess moisture at bay.

Vent the hot air from the clothes dryer outdoors, or hang your clean clothes to dry in the backyard. When showering or cooking, turn exhaust fans on to move damp air outside and keep your home cool and comfortable.

Don’t let summertime heat and humidity get you down. Call the HVAC pros at Davis Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc. to improve air quality in your home all year round: 888-710-5530.

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