Pets can provide you with companionship and plenty of fun memories with your family. However, many people are allergic to pet dander. These small pieces of dead skin are similar to dandruff, and they can cause sneezing, rashes, eye irritation, trouble breathing, headaches, fatigue, and other issues with your indoor air quality.
Dogs, cats, birds, rodents, and many other creatures produce pet dander, and it can enter your home from outside even if you don’t have any pets. Pets can bring other allergies such as biological growth or pollen into your home, and the proteins in pet saliva, urine, or feces can lead to allergy symptoms in some people. If you have pets, you can keep your Tarpon Springs, Florida, home’s indoor air quality high by using an air purifier, cleaning regularly, adding ventilation, and maintaining your HVAC system.
Add a Whole-Home Air Cleaner to Improve Indoor Air Quality
To remove many pollutants from your home’s air, you can have a whole-home air cleaner or air purifier installed in your ductwork. It has a filter that’s similar to the air filter in most HVAC systems, and it can capture dust, dirt, pet dander, and many other contaminants. With this option, you can prevent allergy symptoms and reduce pet odors.
The filters in whole-home air purification systems have Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) ratings that measure the sizes of the particles they can catch. Advanced units with higher MERV ratings can remove pollutants more efficiently than others. A whole-home air purifier with a high MERV rating can make cleaning easier by capturing much of the dust and dirt in your home’s air, keeping it from accumulating quickly on your furniture and floors. A whole-home unit can even increase the value of your house.
Clean Regularly
Cleaning often will remove pet dander that settles on your carpeting, floors, and furniture. You should dust and vacuum regularly, minimize carpeting, and keep your pets out of rooms that have carpets if possible. Mopping a wood, vinyl, or tile floor is easier, faster, and less expensive than having your carpeting cleaned by a professional. You can avoid exposure to allergens from outside by asking family members and guests to remove their shoes and leave them near your door.
Make sure that your animals stay away from your bedroom and furniture, and give them their own beds. Bathe and brush them at least once per week to remove pet dander and other allergens. This advice even applies to your cat, who could benefit from a regular bath. You can protect yourself from additional exposure to allergens by using a professional groomer who will ensure that your pet’s fur is kept at a manageable length.
Add Ventilation to Improve Indoor Air Quality
Modern homes have excellent insulation to make them more efficient. However, pollutants such as pet dander can accumulate inside them without ventilation. An energy recovery ventilator (ERV) removes stale air and all of the contaminants it contains. It also removes bad smells and excess moisture and filters fresh air before bringing it into your home. These devices work like heat pumps, using the outgoing air’s thermal energy to condition incoming air and conserve energy. Like an air cleaner, you can have a whole-home unit installed in your home’s ductwork.
Maintain Your HVAC System
To keep your HVAC system working properly have your air conditioner checked by an expert once per year. You can find out about any problems before they make your allergies worse. For example, a professional can tell you when you need to have your ductwork cleaned to eliminate dust, dirt, and pet dander from accumulating in your ducts and spreading through your home. For the best indoor air quality, you should also change the air filter for your HVAC system and your air cleaner once per month.
Senica Air Conditioning, Inc. is a family business with more than 26 years of air conditioning and indoor air quality experience. Our trained technicians can help you install and maintain your air cleaner, your ERV, and your HVAC system. For outstanding, quality service, call us anytime at 866-881-5935.
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