House Feeling Stuffy? Here’s How To Fight Stale Air in Your Home
Want your home to feel fresh and inviting? It may be time to give stale air the boot.
Maybe you’ve noticed a buildup of humidity, dust or other pollutants reducing the air quality in your home. Maybe there’s a musty smell you just can’t shake. Luckily, these are relatively easy (and mostly free) problems to fix with a few quick changes.
Add Ventilation
Having proper indoor ventilation is important because it keeps the air clean. When fresh air can circulate, it dilutes pollution that would otherwise build up in an airtight room. Common pollutants include excess moisture, odors, gases, dirt and dust. Allowing plenty of air to move through a room helps to dilute and remove unwanted pollution daily. It can even prevent viruses from spreading.
For a little extra ventilation, you can use exhaust fans to spot-treat areas of excess moisture, such as the kitchen and bathroom. It’s also important to make sure your clothes dryer is vented to the outdoors and to check the vent often for buildup.
Read more about improving ventilation here.
Create Daily Habits
Reducing the stale air in your home can be as easy as sticking with a few daily habits. In addition to regularly opening doors and windows for better ventilation, regularly clean and declutter your living spaces. Dust, vacuum and organize to prevent the accumulation of particles that can contribute to a stuffy atmosphere.
Next, remember to open curtains and blinds during the day to brighten spaces and create an open, airy atmosphere. Natural light can help reduce feelings of stuffiness.
Add Freshness Boosts
Once you feel your home is clean, airy and freshly ventilated, you can add freshness boosts to make your home feel even more welcoming. This might include houseplants (some of which can actually help purify the air) and essential oil diffusers. Just try to limit the use of synthetic air fresheners and heavily scented products, as these can contribute to feelings of stuffiness as well as reduce air quality.
In addition, consider using a high-quality purifier to filter out dust, allergens and pollutants, ensuring cleaner and fresher indoor air.
Keep a Comfortable Temperature
To reduce stale air, use fans or air conditioning to regulate the temperature, especially during warmer seasons. A fan doesn’t change the room’s temperature, but it does change the way the air in the room feels. The air will either feel warmer or cooler depending on the direction the fan is spinning.
When a fan spins counterclockwise, the re-circulated air is pushed downward, creating what’s known as a downdraft. As the air circulates, it comes into contact with your skin. It then causes moisture there to evaporate, making you feel cooler. Read more about cooling with fans here.
Keep Up with Maintenance
Finally, the best way to banish stale air is with a properly functioning HVAC system. While your unit may appear to be running flawlessly, dirt, dust and other debris may be causing damage that you can’t see.
Over time, everything from dead leaves to dryer lint could find its way into your outside unit, which causes several problems, including a dirty condenser coil and clogged cooling fins. An annual inspection will help keep your system in the best possible shape.
Get the Best HVAC Maintenance with Barineau
Signing up for an annual service plan helps you save time, money and effort while keeping your HVAC system in top shape (and keep your home feeling fresh all year long).
With Barineau Heating and Air Conditioning’s Total Comfort Service Program, you’ll receive several incentives, such as no overtime charges and a discount on repairs. At $109 per year, the Blue Plan (which includes one 28-point inspection) only costs $20 more than a one-time tune-up, with benefits that quickly pay for themselves.
Time is money, which is why it’s always a great thing to make the most of yours. Save on both by signing up for the Total Comfort Service Program today or click here to speak with a home comfort specialist.
