Air Duct Cleaning Blog

How To Remove Dust and Reduce Household Allergies.

​​Do you suffer from allergies or asthma? Are your symptoms worse when you are at home? According to the EPA (environmental protection agency) indoor air can have much more dust, soils, dirt, and pollen than outdoor air. Irritants found in your air ducts such as: pollen, mold, pet dander and pest infestations can cause coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and even asthma attacks?  Asthma affects one in 13 Americans, however the numbers have gradually increased over the years along with indoor air pollutants. Mark’s Cleaning Service recommends following the steps below to protect you and your family from the harmful indoor allergens and irritants found inside your air ducts: You cannot control the air outside, but you can control the air inside your home.

Your HVAC system circulates indoor air throughout your home and if you have dust, pollen, or other harmful irritants, it may be a good idea to have your air ducts professionally cleaned. -Call your local air duct cleaning company.

Source removal methods are the most effective known air duct cleaning solution for home air ducts. Professional air duct cleaning services use state of the art equipment to expulse Soils from duct walls, then vacuum debris using a truck mounted vacuum. Some companies may recommend applying a sanitization spray or biocide treatment to the duct walls to eliminate microbiological and mold growth. Despite their claims of benefits the dangers of these chemicals have not been fully researched and in most cases should not be used.
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-Replace your air filter and consider investing in a more efficient particulate air filter or HEPA filter if you don’t already have one. Typically, most Hvac systems are equipped with a simple Merv filter this acronym stands for (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value). Merv filters are given a rating between 1 and 16 according to what size particulates it can filter. High efficiency Merv filters range from 13-16 and are capable of filtering particles as small as 0.3 microns with 75 percent efficiency.  HEPA filters are rated between 17-20 and are capable of removing 99.97% airborne particulates at 0.3 microns.

When you look to buy a new air filter it is important to understand the differences between the two and what filter will work best for your circumstances.

1-12 Merv Filter: (not recommended) these filters are cheap and also require to be changed once per month. Low Merv filters are not as effective at removing airborne particulates. In some cases, these cheap air filters do not fit correctly, leaving gaps around the filter causing unfiltered air to recirculate through your home. You don’t want that!

16 Merv Air Filter: Recommended for home owners looking for a balance between energy efficiency and air filtration. This filter will not restrict air flow to the HVAC allowing quieter fan performance. Generally, these filters are more expensive than 1-12 Merv filters, but don’t require to be changed as frequently.  

HEPA Filter: Mark’s Cleaning Service highly recommends using a HEPA filter in your homes HVAC! In homes where air quality is poor a HEPA filter offers the highest level of air filtration. It is important to remember air filtration can come at a cost; HEPA filters can restrict airflow and actually reduce energy efficiency increasing your energy bills.  

-Wipe off surfaces with a microfiber and dusting solution. This is an efficient way to remove lingering dust trapped within your home.

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-We highly recommend vacuuming your carpeted floors once a week as it is extremely beneficial to your indoor air quality. The carpets in your home act as a filter, when your HVAC system builds pressure throughout your home, carpets trap moving dirt, dust and soils. Sometimes cleaning your carpet goes beyond vacuuming up crumbs and dirt.

-Get your mattress & upholstery professionally cleaned. “We live on our furniture!” Just like carpeting, the upholstery in your home will act as a filter capturing small particulates as air pressures change. Depending on traffic we highly recommend vacuuming furniture weekly. When we sit down to watch our favorite shows dirt, dust, and skin particles fall onto your upholstered furniture. A professional cleaning can rid your upholstery of irritants like mold, mildew, dust and allergens helping you and your family live a healthy lifestyle.

Changing your bed sheets at least once per week can greatly reduce allergens and sleep disruptions. Dust mites love your mattress and bed sheets; they live off dead skin cells and mold spores. Seeing that the average human loses about 1 million skin cells per day, your bed is the perfect place for dust mites to inhabit. Common symptoms of dust mite allergies include: Sneezing or running nose, congestion, red eye and itchy throat. A frequently upward rubbing of the nose is a common indicator in children. Always wash your sheets with hot water to vastly reduce the amount of dust mites in your bedding.

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All of these options above can dramatically improve your indoor air quality. Taking the right steps to have clean air ducts, investing in new air filters, cleaning up surfaces and vacuuming can prevent short and long-term health risks. Your HVAC system is a closed loop that constantly pulls in dust, pollen and mold.  That is why Mark’s Cleaning Service recommends having your air ducts cleaned every one to two years. Cleaning your air ducts can remove several pounds of dirt, grime, and dander from the circulated air in your home just in one air duct cleaning service! -Get your mattress & upholstery professionally cleaned. “We live on our furniture!” Just like carpeting, the upholstery in your home will act as a filter capturing small particulates as air pressures change. Depending on traffic we highly recommend vacuuming furniture weekly. When we sit down to watch our favorite shows dirt, dust, and skin particles fall onto your upholstered furniture. A professional cleaning can rid your upholstery of irritants like mold, mildew, dust and allergens helping you and your family live a healthy lifestyle.

Changing your bed sheets at least once per week can greatly reduce allergens and sleep disruptions. Dust mites love your mattress and bed sheets; they live off dead skin cells and mold spores. Seeing that the average human loses about 1 million skin cells per day, your bed is the perfect place for dust mites to inhabit. Common symptoms of dust mite allergies include: Sneezing or running nose, congestion, red eye and itchy throat. A frequently upward rubbing of the nose is a common indicator in children. Always wash your sheets with hot water to vastly reduce the amount of dust mites in your bedding.

All of these options above can dramatically improve your indoor air quality. Taking the right steps to have clean air ducts, investing in new air filters, cleaning up surfaces and vacuuming can prevent short and long-term health risks. Your HVAC system is a closed loop that constantly pulls in dust, pollen and mold.  That is why Mark’s Cleaning Service recommends having your air ducts cleaned every one to two years. Cleaning your air ducts can remove several pounds of dirt, grime, and dander from the circulated air in your home just in one air duct cleaning service! 

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