Help Cold Season Stop at Your Front Door

The problem with cold season isn’t necessarily the temperature outside. Sure, the cold makes your fingers go numb and wish you never had to get out of bed, but that’s not what actually causes you to come down with a cold. One of the main reasons that colds spread like they do is so obvious that most of us never think about it – we all stay inside.

Your house or business is even more of a closed circuit in the winter than it is normally. Your windows stay shut and the front door is open just long enough for you to run in and slam it against the chill. Germs and allergens alike are circulated endlessly making everyone an easy target for a cold.

Here are a few things you can do to help deter cold season:

• Invest in an air cleaner or purifier – Probably your best ally in the fight against airborne sickness. Air cleaners and purifiers single out undesirable particles and allergens and get rid of them to greatly improve your indoor air quality.
• Get your ducts cleaned – Air ducts are a favorite hiding space for germs and allergens. Getting them cleaned will prevent “infected” air from being circulated as much.
• Get your heating system cleaned – The dust and gunk that accrues on your heater when not in use can aggravate your already sensitive allergies and really hinder recovery time.
• Disinfect – This may not be strictly HVAC related but it’s still as important as ever. It’s nigh impossible to keep from spreading germs when you are constantly coughing and sneezing and touching surfaces in your house or workplace (Why are you at work? Go home!)

Cold season really is a miserable time of year but we hope that these tips can help make it manageable. Bundle up, stay warm and start 2015 cold-free!