Air pollution can be as big and as unhealthy a problem within any indoor environment, especially within your home, in the same way that it is outdoors.

The air in your home can be as polluted and as big a threat to your family’s health as the smog in your city makes its way into your family home. Allergies, asthma and other breathing problems caused by indoor air pollution are increasing. Making sure that you have clean air in your home can make you and your family healthier.

• Dusting can make the pollution in your home worse by putting dust in the air so throw out the feather dusters and dust rags. Instead use a vacuum so that the dust gets picked up and taken away. Get a small handheld vacuum or a model with a long hose so you can remove dust from all the nooks and crannies. Covering your vacuum nozzle with a rag can help remove dust.
• Replace your carpeting with hardwood floors or tiles. Carpets hold dust and can be hard to clean. If you want to keep your carpets and rugs deep clean them two or three times a year to reduce dust.
• Attach an air purifier to your heating or cooling system to keep the air clean.
• Set the washing machine on hot when you wash linens and bed clothes to kill dust mites and their eggs. Wash all the clothing in closet and all of your linens on a regular basis.
• Increase the humidity in the air in your home to 50% by using a humidifier or humidifiers. You can get a humidifier that attaches to your heating or cooling system to increase moisture in the entire house.
• Books, magazines and paperwork attract a lot of dust. Keep bookshelves to a minimum and don’t store books in a bedroom. Reduce dust by storing paperwork and magazines in filing cabinets or plastic tubs. Eliminate paper work by keeping all records on your computer.
• Vacuum every part of the home at least once a week. In particular vacuum off stuffed animals, furniture, books and shelves that attract dust. Don’t forget to vacuum heating vents and air conditioners.
• If you have a forced air heating system hire a professional service to clean out the ducts. Heating ducts can get filled with dust and debris that can make you sick.

Clean Indoor Air is a post from: Cape Cod House Remodeling

We all know that moist air is healthier for our families and good for our homes but most of us don’t know what kind of humidifier to use according to our living environment.

Buying a humidifier isn’t as simple as it used to be, there are several kinds of humidifiers available in stores. There are also humidifying systems that you can add to your heating or cooling system to pump moist air to your entire home.

Before you spend your money, you should know that you may not need a humidifier in the first place. Most people buy humidifiers because they have forced air heating systems that dry out the air in their home. If you have hot water or steam heat, you probably don’t need a humidifier. If you use a swamp or evaporative cooler as an air conditioner, you definitely don’t need a humidifier mainly because the cooling devices cool the home by adding moisture to the air.

Most people use a standalone humidifier because these don’t require any form of professional installation. There are four excellent kinds of standalone humidifier available in the stores.

An ultrasonic humidifier doesn’t use sound to create a mist. A drawback to these is that they can leave a white dust in your home if you don’t use distilled water. In areas with hard water, ultrasonic humidifiers can be ruined by mineral build up.

An evaporative unit blows water throw wicking material to moisten the air. These models can provide moisture for several days so water doesn’t have to be changed so regularly. Evaporative units have filters that have to be replaced. Some of them are equipped with germ killing UV lights. The big fancy humidifiers sold at department and kitchen stores are usually evaporative units.

A cool mist or impeller humidifier moistens air by spinning water and blowing it into the air. These are the cheapest humidifiers and they are often used in children’s rooms because they are safe. Unfortunately, cool mist humidifiers can create puddles of water and damage furniture and floors with water build up.

Choose the Right Humidifier is a post from: Cape Cod House Remodeling