Approximately 36 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies. This summer has been especially tough for allergy sufferers because of unseasonably high amounts of rain and humidity.
Although we can’t control Mother Nature, there is plenty you can do to make your home more comfortable by reducing allergens and irritants.
Why Is Indoor Air Quality So Important?
Allergies, asthma, eczema, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, sinusitis, bronchial problems are all medical conditions that have been linked to poor indoor air quality. Indoor air can be 5 times more polluted than the air outside. The EPA ranks indoor air quality as one of the top 5 environmental risks to public health.
Here are some steps to make the air your family breathes cleaner and healthier:
- Controlling the temperature in your home is a great way control allergens. If you have a programmable thermostat, set the temperature to 70 during the day and 65 during the night. Make sure to keep an eye on the humidity level also, no lower than 40 or 50.
- Change your filters and have your air ducts cleaned. Dust, pests, and mold can collect filters and ducts if they are not cleaned regularly.
- Vacuum rugs often and have your rugs cleaned. Be sure to check cleaning ingredients, as some cleaners have strong odors that can trigger allergies.
- I know pets are like members of the family, but if you’re suffering with allergies, try to keep the family cat or dog off furniture that can trap pet hair and dander. For example, any place where you rest your head, like a fabric sofa or on the bed, should be kept free of pet hair.
- Wash your bed sheets often. You can also purchase pillow and mattress covers that provide a special barrier for dust mites.
- Keep your bathroom clean. Mold grows in damp environments an is a major cause of severe allergies.
- Keep your refrigerator clean. Food that sits beyond its expiration date begins to grow mold. You don’t want that sitting near food you are going to eat.
- Donate or pack up and store old books. I hang on to those old books from college, thinking I may need to refer back to them one day. But old books left on shelves or lying around are huge collectors of dust, which increase allergens.
- Be sure to wash you hands often, as this is one of the fastest way to spread allergens.
- Install a Lux Clean Cycle thermostat, model # CAG1500. It is a fully programmable thermostat that not only gives the homeowner the advantage of automatic temperature control, but also has the added benefit of helping to keep the home’s air clean. What makes it all possible is the innovative Clean Cycle. This feature ensures the heating and air conditioning fan to run for a set duration of time each hour to circulate the air in the home. The Clean Cycle is programmable as well, allowing homeowners to program the fan to run anywhere between 9 and 60 minutes each hour. It also includes a filter monitor that indicates when the filter needs cleaning for optimum air quality and system performance. A programmable thermostat that improves the quality of your air and saves you money!
Lux Product Clean Cycle thermostat CAG1500
Please see AMAZON.COM for a wide selection of thermostats for your home.