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Spring Cleaning for Healthier Air
Air filters can’t do all the heavy lifting, but they can help you work smarter—not harder—to battle common air offenders as you spend more time at home.
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As many of us are spending more time at home than ever before, it’s an opportunity to really do a deep spring cleaning to help promote a cleaner, fresher home environment. But if you’re not accounting for your air quality, your hard work to vacuum, dust, mop and wipe down every surface in your home could be all for naught. Enter your Filtrete™ Smart Air Filter. Outfitted with an electrostatic charge and a magnetic-like effect, here are the common air quality offenders the filter can help capture. Plus: some spring cleaning tasks to maximize the filter’s impact.
1. Pollen
Spring is nearly synonymous with allergens. Though it’s probably tempting to throw open your windows at the first sign of sunshine, be sure to first hose down your screens to remove pollen and other debris buildup that has gathered in recent months. This spring cleaning season, it’s particularly important to revamp your routine and prevent pollen from finding its way into the house: Wash clothes shortly after coming in from outside, enforce a strict shoes-off-at-the-door policy and shower at night rather in the morning to remove pollen from your hair before bed.
2. Dust
The warm, dry air expelled by your furnace when the temperatures drop can contribute to a buildup of dust in the winter months.* Even if you maintained a regular dusting routine throughout the winter and have adjusted your cleaning to disinfect surfaces, here’s how to kick it up a notch. Declutter as much as possible to cut down on available space for dust to settle, and use a microfiber cloth—which is most effective in collecting dust particles—to wipe down surfaces (don’t forget those hard-to-reach areas!). Mattresses and fabric furniture should be vacuumed, while removable pillow covers, rugs and curtains can be washed in 130-degree water to kill dust mites.**
3. Mold
Warm environments are breeding grounds for mold, so it’s important to be extra vigilant about this fungus as temperatures and humidity rise in the spring—especially in spaces where water runs frequently (think: bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms). Look for and remove spores in showers, tubs, sinks, toilets, refrigerator seals and inside cabinets. Address any leaks you see, clean exhaust fans and replace plastic shower liners. You can also clean your garbage disposal with baking soda and white vinegar—throw in some ice cubes to sharpen the blades while you’re at it.**
4. Pet dander
If you have pets, the shedding of their winter coats is inevitable, as is spending more time with them. You’ll have more exposure to pet dander from skin cells, saliva and urine, as well as pollen, dirt and debris that hangs on their coats from those oh-so-wonderful walks. In lieu of professional grooming, now’s the time to establish a new DIY routine with frequent brushing and bathing. Vacuuming your floors once or twice a week can also help clear the air, as can washing pet bedding and favorite toys. And, resist the urge to let them sleep on your furniture or in your bedroom.***
5. Pollutants
With shelter-at-home orders in place, you’re likely utilizing your stovetop and oven a lot lately. A top-to-bottom scrubbing can remove grease buildup and burnt, baked-on food and help mitigate pollutants from floating into the air every time you cook.
While you will have to put in some elbow grease to get your home in tip-top shape, your Smart Air Filter will help you work smarter, not harder, to keep all these common air offenders at bay. Plus, the companion Smart App makes it easy to track airflow and order new filters at the click of a button, checking one more thing off your to-do list.
Sources:
*https://www.webmd.com/women/dry-indoor-air#1
**https://community.aafa.org/blog/spring-cleaning-for-an-asthma-and-allergy-friendly-home
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