GREENSBORO, N.C. — It’s allergy season. Which means the windows are closed and the air conditioning is on. Experts who work with HVAC systems say the ductwork that carries the heat or air through the house is like lungs.
If you want to breathe easily, you need to filter out the bad particles.
In the case of your house, you need good air filters.
“This is an HVAC filter, it has some reinforcements, but it's transparent, you can see my hand through it. It shows the quality, think about what kinds of particles can pass through that filter. Now look at this pleated filter, you can’t see my hand through it. This is going to collect more of the particulates that would pass through a less dense filter,” says Pete Georges of Advantaclean of the Piedmont.
The cheaper and thinner filters you need to change every 30 days. The more expensive and thicker filters can last 60 to 90 days.
How expensive are we talking about? The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioner Engineers recommends a Minimum Efficiency Reports Value or MERV for air filters.
For context, many hospitals use MERV14 to 20. 2WTK found MERV 14 filters for about $10 apiece. Residential should go with MERV 8 to 13.
2WTK found MERV 8 filters for about $2 apiece.
THE TROUBLE WITH TOWELS
Speaking of allergies, have you thought about how you hang up your towel? For instance, what do you do with your towel after a shower? Do you hang it on one hook, is it on a rod with a single hang or a double fold hang?
“Every time you fold it you're making the density of that fabric double or more so you really want to get the airflow on both sides of the towel. Things that dry quicker are less likely to develop bacteria and funky odors,” said Pete Georges of Advantaclean of The Piedmont.
And don't forget the bath mat! Read more here: