Hold onto your tissue box for this one: according to the Center for Disease Control, Americans get more than 1 billion colds every year.
The leading of cause of the common cold is rhinovirus, the smallest virus despite its big and bold name. It travels pretty much where it wants and gets you through human contact and touching virus-riddled objects.
That’s the bad news. The good news is colds can be prevented. Here are effective ways:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water. You also can use sanitary wipes which are increasingly available in stores, medical offices, and other places with high human traffic. Sanitary wipes also help prevent spreading a virus you already may have contracted.
- Avoid physical contact. We’re not suggesting you become a hermit. Just use common sense and stay away from people clearly ailing from a cold or flu.
- Keep your home as clean as possible. Staying ahead of dust and dust mites can dramatically improve air quality. Also, switching to a HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaner prevents dust from reversing its flow back into your living space.
- Purchase better filters for your air handler and furnace. If you’re using glass filters now, upgrade to pleated filters. The latter capture particles too small to be seen.
- Consider a whole-house air filtration system. Here at Air Professionals, we offer several indoor air quality solutions for homes of every size and type, including yours. Working in conjunction with your heating and cooling systems, a whole-house air filter can trap up to 99% of rhinovirus microns and other airborne pollutants.
To learn more about whole-house air filters and other indoor air quality solutions, contact Air Professionals today.