Get Control of Household Dust for Improved Indoor Air Quality

Dust is everywhere. You carry it into your home on your clothes and shoes, but you and your family also generate dust indoors. Indoor dust is made up of skin flakes and hair particles from pets and humans, as well as fibers from carpet and upholstery, and it makes up to 90 percent of all the dust in your home. All that dust isn’t just unsightly; it’s also unhealthy and can cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems. Here are some guidelines to improve indoor air quality by controlling dust.

Dust Control Tips

• Lose the clutter. Dust settles on piles of clothes, magazines or anything else you leave lying around. Pick it up and put it away. Keep knickknacks to a minimum. Use cabinets with glass doors to display books and other items.
• Use the HVAC system while you clean. Stirring up dust from vacuuming, sweeping or other activities should be accompanied by turning the fan of the HVAC system to “on” so it will suck up the dust and dirt and catch it in the filter.
• Upgrade the air filter. Use a good quality, pleated air filter with a higher minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV). Better filters not only protect the HVAC components, but they also keep dust and other pollutants from re-circulating in your home’s air.
• Change your bedding often. Dust and dust mites collect in bedding so wash it weekly in hot water.
• Clean with the right supplies. An electrostatic or damp cloth will pick up dust rather than stir it up and make it airborne. A damp mop will likewise pick up dirt and dust from hard floors.
• Consider a whole-house air cleaner. Installed in the HVAC system, an air cleaner will keep your air free not only of dirt and dust but also irritating pollutants.

To learn more about how to improve indoor air quality, have a look at Carefree Comfort, Inc. Heating and Air Conditioning’s IAQ technologies, or give us a call us at 847-388-0115.