When you run central air conditioning or you have forced hot air for the winter heating season, you will be subject to poor air quality. There are things that you can do to help improve the air quality in your home (and not all of them have anything to do with your duct system).
Clean regularly.
This includes having a professional HVAC specialist come to your home to clean out the ducts. If you were to remove the vents in any of the rooms in your home, you might be stunned to see how much dust and dirt is lying on the bottom of those ducts, just around the bend from the vent.
Whenever you vacuum or sweep, dust and dirt is moving through the air and it will invariably end up sifting through those vents. When the air conditioning or heating system kicks on, it stirs up those allergens and spreading them throughout the home.
Focus on furniture, not just the carpeting.
When most Toronto homeowners vacuum, they focus on the floors and rarely pay much attention to the furniture, unless they see dirt or dust collecting on them. Get into the habit of cleaning the furniture on a regular basis as well as the carpeting.
Most vacuum cleaning machines have an attachment just for cleaning upholstery (which includes furniture). If you have leather furniture, make sure you follow proper care instructions. Also, don’t forget all those nooks and crannies in the furniture.
Use a HEPA filter.
You can get an inexpensive vacuum cleaner, but it’s best to invest in one that has a HEPA filter. These filters capture a high percentage of particulates from the air, such as allergens. Using a cleaning machine with a HEPA filter will reduce the amount of dust and other allergens from circulating through your house when you clean.