If you find yourself sneezing and dealing with a stuffy nose, itchy skin, and watery eyes as the Utah weather cools, these are sure signs that winter allergy season has arrived. Allergies can irritate your sinuses, trigger asthma, raise your chances of getting respiratory infections, and make you feel run-down for weeks at a time. Poor indoor air quality at home can make things worse. In this article, we’ll cover how installing air purifiers and humidifiers, cleaning regularly, and maintaining your HVAC system can provide relief.
What Triggers Winter Allergies?
Some people think that since pollen counts drop in winter, allergies shouldn’t be an issue. Unfortunately, Utah’s colder seasons can support a host of other irritants, including:
- Dust mites
- Insect droppings
- Particulates from furnaces and coal- or wood-burning stoves
- Pet dander
- Mold
How to Manage Your Allergy Symptoms at Home
When the weather cools, it’s natural to shut the windows and turn up the heat. If your HVAC system is continuously circulating indoor air without bringing in fresh outdoor air, your home environment is likely to become saturated with pollutants. Lack of ventilation can create a dry, stuffy atmosphere that aggravates your allergies, but you can take steps to freshen your space and reduce your reactivity.
To keep your allergies at bay this winter, you’ll want to remove irritants from the air and make it more comfortable to breathe. While regular cleaning is a good first line of defense, you can dramatically improve your air quality by using an air purifier, humidifier, or both.
How Air Purifiers Clean Your Air
Air purifiers work by filtering out particulates, like dust, mold spores, pet dander, and bacteria, as air passes through them. Some models use activated carbon to absorb unpleasant odors and harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Others have features like germ-killing UV lights, ionizers, and high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that help clean the air.
Air purifiers can be extremely beneficial to people with asthma because they trap and remove triggering allergens. In particular, HEPA filters can capture up to 99.97% of airborne particles with sizes as small as 0.3 microns.
How Humidifiers Enhance Air Comfort
Your heating system can dry out the air in your home, which can worsen your allergy symptoms. Dry air can irritate your mucous membranes, lungs, and skin. Humidifiers add moisture to the air, making it feel more comfortable, by dispersing water vapor in various ways. Evaporative units blow air through a moistened wick to release moisture, while vaporizers fill the air with warm, sanitized steam. Ultrasonic models utilize quiet, high-frequency vibrations to generate a fine mist. Central humidifiers integrate with your heating and air conditioning system to control humidity levels throughout your home.
Optimizing humidity levels can help ease sinus irritation, sore and scratchy throats, and itchy, parched skin. The Mayo Clinic suggests keeping your home’s humidity levels between 30% and 50%. Maintaining this moisture range can discourage dust mites and mold from proliferating and reduce the infectiousness of viruses.
Do I Need an Air Purifier, a Humidifier, or Both?
When you’re seeking relief from your winter allergies, whether you need an air purifier, a humidifier, or both depends on your air quality problem and your sensitivities. While you’re reviewing your options, consider how each piece of equipment improves the quality of the air in your home.
Air purifiers provide these benefits:
- Eases the burden on your lungs by removing particulates
- Provides allergy and asthma relief
- Enhances respiratory health by reducing mold, bacteria, and pet dander
- Promotes deeper, more restful sleep
- Neutralizes unpleasant odors
Humidifiers provide these benefits:
- Soothes dry sinuses and scratchy throats
- Keeps lips and mucous membranes moist
- Reduces the chance of nosebleeds
- Alleviates dry eyes and itchy skin
- Prevents static shock
Since air purifiers and humidifiers serve different, complementary functions, you can use them together to optimize your indoor air quality. For best results, keep some distance between the units to prevent excess moisture from entering the air filter. Be sure to clean and maintain both pieces of equipment. Clean or change your air purifier’s filters regularly, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Rinse and dry your humidifier each day, and deep clean it weekly with a disinfectant.
Other Steps You Can Take to Calm Winter Allergies
Your air purifier and humidifier will work best when used as part of your home hygiene regimen. Here’s how to get the most out of this equipment.
Clean Your Home Frequently to Eliminate Allergens
Clean your home a few times a week, and if possible, use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. Carpet, drapes, and upholstered furniture can attract and trap dust and other particles, so consider replacing some of your fabric-covered furnishings, decor, and surfaces with wood or leather. Try using bedspreads, sheets, and pillow cases that can be washed in hot water to more effectively kill dust mites and remove other allergens.
Groom Your Pets to Reduce Pet Dander
To reduce pet dander in the air, groom your pets regularly to reduce shedding and remember to wash their bedding. Keeping your pets out of your bedroom may help to improve your sleep. For extra protection, consider investing in an air purifier with a filter that’s designed to remove pet dander.
Deep Clean and Dry Moist Surfaces to Prevent Mold Growth
Mold can grow in warm, humid indoor areas like bathrooms, kitchens, and basements where water vapor condenses on the walls. To stop mold in its tracks, scrub your tiles, sinks, tubs, and showers with a bleach-based cleaner and use a fan to thoroughly dry out the space. Keep in mind that firewood can harbor mold, so use it right away or keep it outdoors.
Promote Good Air Circulation Within Your Home
Removing stuffy, stale air from your home can do wonders for your winter allergy symptoms. One of the best ways to ventilate your home is to open your windows to let out carbon dioxide and unpleasant odors, and to welcome in oxygenated air. You can also improve your air quality by cutting back on using scented candles and chemical air fresheners, and by replacing VOC-emitting cleaning products with more natural options.
Schedule a Seasonal Tune-up for Your HVAC System
When it comes to improving the air quality in your home, don’t forget to maintain your HVAC system! A seasonal tune-up can improve the efficiency of your heating system and prevent it from releasing an excess of harmful pollutants and gases into the air. When your HVAC system, air purifier, and humidifier are performing at their best, you’ll be able to enjoy a comfortable, healthy home environment all winter.
Improve Your Indoor Air Quality and Find Relief From Winter Allergies
At Blue Best Plumbing, Heating, Air, & Generators, we’re committed to helping our Bountiful, UT neighbors enjoy clean, healthy air at home. Our team believes that everyone deserves to breathe easily, so let us help you find the perfect indoor air purifier and humidifier. We also provide HVAC maintenance services to keep you comfortable all season long. Contact Blue Best Plumbing, Heating, Air, & Generators today for a complete indoor air quality assessment!
