Think Spring Refresh  

Cleaning on a regular basis can significantly reduce the amount of dust, pollen, mold, and pet dander in the air. Vacuuming with the proper vacuum every day and disinfecting surfaces on a regular basis are critical. This includes things that are frequently overlooked, such as bathroom fans, and range hoods. 
  Our kitchens are getting more use than ever, and kitchens are the number one source of indoor air pollution. The range hood is your friend when it comes to keeping the air fresh and clean in your home! Run the kitchen range hood before, during, and after cooking as it will remove smoke, grease, moisture, and other airborne pollutants that are produced when you cook. A good range hood will capture grease and other effluents. So, while you are cleaning out your kitchen pantry, remember to wash your range hood filters as well. 
  Most range hoods have aluminum or stainless filters that help capture the grease that is vaporized during cooking. Cleaning these filters monthly can promote better indoor air quality. You can either wash these filters in the sink with dish soap or in your dishwasher! 
 

• Sink: Soak your filters in a sink of hot, soapy water and then scrub just as you would a pot or pan. If the grease is stubborn, you can add a bit of de-greaser or ammonia to the water. 

• Dishwasher: Most grease filters are dishwasher safe, which makes cleaning a breeze! Simply place filters into an empty dishwasher, add dishwashing detergent, and run on a heavy-duty cycle for best results. 

• Please note that with regularly cleaning your grease filter will eventually wear out. You may need to replace your grease filters every 3 years if you follow a regular monthly cleaning schedule. 

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Now on to the bathroom fans! 

Having too high or too low of indoor humidity can be cause irritation to your nose and eyes and can be harmful to your home. Excess moisture can promote the growth of bacteria, mold and viruses. This can worsen allergies, pull moisture from your skin, and can damage the home. Cleaning or updating your bathroom fan can help lower humidity in your home and having a clean and functional exhaust fan in your bathroom will help with remove moisture, preventing mold and mildew which eventually could lead to health issues if left untreated. 

How to properly clean your bathroom fan:

• Sink: Most bathroom fan covers can easily be removed by detaching them from the springs in the ceiling fan. Once removed you can wash the cover in the sink with warm soapy water. Also, do not forget to wipe off the bath fan too! Once you are done cleaning just pop on the washed cover and just like that you have a clean bathroom fan. 

 

From bathroom humidity to whole house humidity

While there can be moisture in your bathroom don’t forget to check the whole house for moisture as well! Moisture is often present in laundry rooms, mud rooms, and home gyms. Mildew thrives in humid environments. Keep a healthy balance of humidity in your whole home by putting a ventilation fan in humidity-prone rooms and by installing an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) fresh air system. An ERV can help balance the humidity in your home while, more importantly, bringing in fresh, filtered air and removing stale, dirty air. 

To conclude let's check the air quality coming from the type of vacuum you are using! 

Another way to get spring cleaning on track is checking the kind of vacuum you are using. That is right, the vacuum you use can affect the quality of your air in your home. Many handheld vacuums are re-circulating the air inside your home (yuck!) Do not worry, we have a solution! A  central vacuum is a built-in system that makes vacuuming easier, more efficient, more powerful, and improves a home’s indoor air quality. After the central vacuum performs its self-cleaning HEPA filtration, the remaining air is then exhausted to the outside. A HEPA filter captures up to 99.97% of all dust and particles and ensures that the exhausted air is clean and there no maintenance required. The permanent filter system is simple and safe. When vacuuming, the filter captures all dust and particles.

Next time you are doing some spring cleaning make sure you look over these simple tips to keep the air in your home fresh.