Improve your home's air quality
More than 50 million Americans suffer from allergy and asthma problems caused by pollen, dust, mold spores, pet dander and many other substances. These common allergens can get "stuck" inside your home, lowering your IAQ — or Indoor Air Quality — to levels two to five times (and occasionally 100 times) worse than outdoors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. What can you do to protect your family and raise your home's IAQ?
Start in the basement. Check for any wet or damp spots which are potential breeding grounds for mold and bacteria. Use a dehumidifier to keep humidity levels below 50 percent. Have your furnace serviced annually and change the air filters as recommended by the manufacturer.
On the main living levels, dust, pet hair and dander and pollen are the most common irritants. Carpeting can trap these particles within the pile and dust mites often make their homes on furniture, drapes and blinds. Vacuum and dust regularly. Be sure to vacuum upholstered furniture and clean bed linens in hot water regularly.
Many physicians recommend that asthma and allergy sufferers purchase an air cleaner, like the Performance Air Cleaner by Lasko(R), to help keep the air clean and fresh. Offering fast, simple, effective air cleaning at a price that won't break the bank, it harnesses the power of a whole-house air filter and concentrates it in one area for quick and effective air cleaning.
Engineered to combine the air circulation of a fan and the cleaning capabilities of a whole-house furnace filter, it can actually clean the air in a room measuring 15 feet by 15 feet in 5 minutes or less. It comes with a standard filter and can be customized with a variety of replacement filters to suit your specific needs.
"This means that if cooking odors or pollen or pet dander are a problem, you replace the Air Cleaner's filter with any brand of 20-inch by 20-inch by 1-inch furnace filter that meets your needs," says Inger Dietrich Heller, marketing director for Lasko. "The Air Cleaner does whatever the filter is designed to do. It's that simple." For more information or to find retailers in your area, call Lasko Products at (800) 394-FANS.