We all strive to make our homes as healthy and safe as possible. But knowing that, on average, indoor air is 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air can take some of the air out of your sail. But don’t give up just yet. Here are 8 changes you can make today that will help control the pollen, mold, dust, and other contaminants that are trying to invade your home and body.

1. Keep a barrier between you and your bedding. Put zippered dust and dust mite proof cases on your pillows and mattress that prevent even the tiniest of particles from getting through.

2. Use a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner. While vacuuming picks up dirt and dust, it can also send those tiny particles back into the air, unless you use a HEPA filter.

3. Change the vacuum filter. A vacuum filter is only good if it’s clean, so change it every 6 months or so or as soon as it starts showing wear and tear.

4. Replace your HVAC filters regularly. HVAC filters not only help keep your heating and air systems running efficiently, they help keep pollutants and contaminants out of the air. So replace those filters at least every 3 months.

5. Ventilate your bathroom properly. First, make sure your bathroom exhaust fan is vented to the outdoors. Then, run it anytime you take a bath or shower to help remove moisture from the room. Leave it running for a few minutes after you’re done, as well.

6. Keep your gutters clear. Clogged and leaky gutters can allow moisture to enter your home and lead to mold growth and structural damage. Inspect your gutters year round and clean as needed.

7. Purge textiles in your bedroom and living room. Area rugs, throws, blankets, and upholstered furniture all trap dust and are perfect breeding grounds for dust mites. Keep them to a minimum for a healthier home, and frequently clean the ones you have.

8. Follow your nose. If an area of your home smells musty, don’t ignore it. Get to the source of the problem to reduce the spread and damage that mold can cause.

Another key to maintaining a healthy home is having your heating and cooling systems professionally cleaned and inspected once a year by the home comfort professionals at Absolute Air. Your filters are part of the inspection process, but so is every other system component – places where dust, dirt, bacteria, mold, mildew and other pollutants frequently gather. We can also help keep your house pollutant free, all year long, by installing a whole-house air purifier. For more information or to request a free in-home consultation, call or click for Absolute Air today.

When it comes to cleaning your house, the easy way out is to clean only what you can see. Not that there’s anything all that easy about house cleaning, mind you, but when time is short, you at least want the end result to be pleasing to the eye. Especially if company is on its way over.

And while shortcuts can often be very useful, nothing is ever truly clean until it’s entirely clean. But even that can’t be accomplished unless you know where to look, including inside your air ducts. On second thought, never mind – we’ll save you the trouble. Because if your air ducts have not been cleaned for as long as you can remember, trust us, you don’t want to look inside them. The sight can be truly appalling, an unhealthy concoction of some or all of the following:

• Dirt
• Dust
• Pollen
• Mold
• Mildew
• Pet hair
• Rodent feces

And then there’s all that other stuff you couldn’t see even if you wanted to, including:

• Bacteria
• Viruses
• Smoking by-products
• By-products from cleaning products and other invisible home improvement products, like formaldehyde from new carpeting

Like we said, it’s not a very pretty picture. But it can be with professional duct cleaning services from Absolute Air. And here are 5 good reasons why you should call to schedule today:

• Keeps the pollutants inside your ductwork from being blown back into your living spaces by your heating and cooling system fans
• Removes numerous known causes and irritants for allergy and asthma sufferers
• Helps improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems
• Helps lower your energy costs
• Helps simplify the rest of your house cleaning chores

How often should you have your ducts cleaned? At least every four years. So if it’s been longer than that, we encourage you to contact Absolute Air today from prompt service and dependable results.

What if we told you we’ve discovered to de-humidify the outdoor air?  Well, even if we did, we’d be lying.  Sorry if we just caused a mild adrenaline rush.

And yet, we do have the next best thing to offer you:  a whole-house de-humidifier so you can leave the humidity outdoors and step inside a whole new version of your home.  One with just the right level of relative humidity, one that you can change up or down at will, and all for your added comfort through the dog days of summer.

It does the exact opposite of a whole-house humidifier (which we also service, repair, and install):  it removes excess levels of humidity so you can feel cooler and more comfortable at higher temperature settings.  That, in turn, leads to a nice reduction in AC energy costs.

Here’s what else you can look forward to with reduced indoor humidity levels this summer:

• No swollen doors, wood floors, or anything else made of wood
• Tremendous relief for allergy and asthma sufferers
• Easier-to-manage hair
• A reduced likelihood of mold and mildew formation
• Reduced build-up of dust
• Less chance for rust in corrosion in your home electronics

To find out more about how a whole-house de-humidifier can benefit your home, family, and budget, contact Absolute Air today.

You know how we always tend to first take care of things around the house that we can see? Like scuffed walls that need to be painted? A downspout that’s come loose from the gutter? Or a shrubbery bed overrun with weeds?

By that standard, it’s really too bad that air, for the most part, is invisible. Because if you could see even just some of the stuff that you’re breathing in, day in and day out, you’d do something about it in a hurry.

But see it or not, that “stuff” is there nonetheless. In fact, it’s estimated that across the US, indoor air is twice as polluted as the air outdoors. What can you do about it? Actually, all kinds of things and here is just a small sampling:

• Don’t smoke indoors. Tobacco smoke contains thousands of indoor pollutants and, because smoke rises, it can land in your ducts and then get blown back into your home each time the furnace or AC fan is on.

• Cut down on the use of harsh, chemically laden cleaning products are any that have strong fragrances. Better yet, stop using them all together and shop instead for “low-emitting” products. Or, you can make your own out of such everyday household ingredients like vinegar and baking soda.

• Buy machine washable bedding and wash your comforters, sheets, and all the rest often to kill and cut back on the accumulation of dust and dust mites.

• Replace your vacuum cleaner with one that contains HEPA filter to trap dust and dirt and instead of spewing at least some of it all around your home.

• Have everyone, friends and neighbors including, take off their shoes as soon as entering your home. Shoe bottoms are the unwitting transporters of all kinds of pollutants into your home, including dust, dirt, pollen, pesticides, and more.

• Treat yourself to some new house plants, especially those known for their propensity to kill airborne bacteria and other pollutants. Plants like Boston Ferns, Chinese Evergreens, Crotons, and Arrowhead Vines are ideally suited to the task.

For a more global solution, contact Absolute Air today and ask about a whole-house air purifier: the kind that can and does trap 99.7% of airborne pollutants attempting to pass through the system’s filter. They’re easy to install, easy to maintain, and work wonders in helping every member of your family breathe a whole lot easier indoors.