Living in the desert here in Arizona is great, thanks to our warm, sunny weather and dry climate. Unfortunately, that dry climate brings along with it a dusty landscape. As beautiful as it can be outside, you don’t want all of that dust getting into your Phoenix-area home, making your house dirty and getting into the air you breathe.
Here at Day & Night Air, we work hard to help our residential clients maintain their air quality. Here are some of our top tips for keeping your Phoenix home dust-free.
Clean Your Home Regularly
This may seem like common sense, but many homeowners don’t clean their homes nearly as often as they should. Aim to vacuum at least once a week if you have carpet and mop twice a week if you have hard floors, like wood, tile and other solid materials. Depending on how many people live in your home and whether or not you have pets, you may need to clean more often than these general guidelines suggest. Play around with different schedules to find out what works best for your home.
Declutter
Knick-knacks and other decorative items are breeding grounds for dust and dirt, so try to minimize the amount of clutter you have on your shelves. We’re not suggesting you get rid of all your personal and sentimental items; simply get rid of or store anything that doesn’t need to be on display. Not only will this make your home look more streamlined, but it will also make cleaning easier and quicker.
Consider Hardwood Floors
Carpet can trap dust and dirt within its fibers, so if dust is an ongoing problem in your home, you may want to switch to hardwood or tile floors. If you are set on keeping carpet flooring, choose a carpet with a low pile, and vacuum regularly to keep it as clean as possible.
Set Out Doormats
Each time you enter your home, you track in dust and dirt from outside on the bottom of your shoes. The best way to combat this is to set doormats outside each entrance to your home. Take a moment to wipe the bottom of your shoes as you enter, and encourage guests to your home to do the same. Take off your shoes as soon as you come in. If you don’t like being barefoot, wear socks, slippers or sandals indoors. Just make sure you don’t wear your indoor footwear outside.
Keep Your Windows Closed
This may seem counterintuitive when opening windows will allow fresh air into your home, but that fresh air also brings with it dust from outside, diminishing your air quality. Keep your windows closed and rely on fans and air conditioning to keep the temperature inside your home comfortable instead.
Change Your Air Filters
Your air conditioning system works by sucking air from inside your home into the system, where it is then cooled and pumped back into your home. As it pulls the air in, it also pulls in any dust in the air. Your system’s air filters catch much of this dust on the way in, but that dust can build up over time, rendering your air filters ineffective. The frequency with which you’ll need to change your air filters depends on the specific type of filters you use, so follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Typically, you’ll need to change your filters either monthly or seasonally. Air filter installation is easy and doesn’t require any special tools or equipment, so there is no excuse for not keeping up with this important task.
Maintain Your Air Conditioning System
Even if you change your air filters on a regular basis, you can still experience other issues with your system. While air filters catch much of the dust in the air, they can’t stop it all from getting through into your system, so you’ll need to have your ducts cleaned out periodically as well. We recommend doing this at least once every three to five years, more often if you or your loved ones suffer from allergies.
It’s not just your ducts that need ongoing maintenance, though; your air conditioning system needs regular checkups to ensure it is functioning optimally. Here at Day & Night Air, we’ll be happy to help you keep your system working properly over the years. Our expert technicians can help identify any issues before they become major problems. Properly maintaining your system will n
Don’t only improve the air quality in your Phoenix home, but also help minimize your energy costs as your system runs more efficiently.Don’t wait until something goes wrong with your air conditioner to give us a call. We’ll be happy to come out to your home to inspect your system and advise you about the next steps. Call today to get started.