Can Air Duct Cleaning Help Allergies?

3/31/2021 (Permalink)

When you need your air ducts cleaned, call SERVPRO of Mandarin to ensure it's done the right way!

If you are plagued by allergies, you’re not alone. More than 50 million people across the nation are affected by allergies each year, making it the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the United States. Exposure to allergens is not always within your control, since they’re often airborne. Keeping allergens out of your house is a little bit more manageable though.

Let’s first look at some common indoor allergens.

• Dust: Dust mites are in just about every home. They lurk in beds, upholstered furniture, and other fabric, eating the dead skin cells we shed and creating waste that triggers allergies.
• Mold: Very common in Florida, mold is often found in damp places like bathrooms and crawl spaces.
• Pet dander: Pets shed skin cells just like people do, and these discarded cells can trigger allergies.
• Pests: Cockroaches are common in Florida, and their waste, saliva, and discarded skin can trigger allergies. Rodent hair, dander, urine, and feces are all allergens too.
• Pollen: While you might think of pollen as an outdoor allergen, it travels easily into homes on clothes, shoes, and pets.
• Air Pollutants: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are harmful gases given off by household cleaners, building materials, and furniture. Outdoor pollutants like smog can get into your home making indoor air up to five times as polluted as the air outside!

These allergens are common, but there are steps you can take to mitigate the issues they cause. Changing your air filters regularly, vacuuming frequently, eliminating clutter, using a dehumidifier, and taking measures to deter pests can all help. However, one of the best things you can do to help promote healthier indoor air is to have your air ducts professionally cleaned.

Once allergens are in your HVAC system, they can easily circulate through your home and trigger your allergies. Further, allergens are not the only contaminant that could be lurking in your ducts. Bacteria can grow and thrive there, and so can viruses, including the virus that causes COVID-19.

If you have not had professional duct cleaning services in the last five years, then now’s the time. In addition to improving your air quality and reducing allergens in your home, cleaning your ducts can eliminate odors and make your home easier to clean by lessening the dust in your home. Best of all, clean air ducts lead to greater HVAC energy efficiency. When dust and contaminants clog your air ducts, your home’s HVAC efficiency is reduced. Clean air ducts mean your system doesn’t have to work as hard, so it’s more efficient and will likely have a longer lifespan, which is particularly important here in Florida where the warm summer sun causes our HVAC systems to work on overdrive.

When you need air duct cleaning around Jacksonville, FL, call SERVPRO of Mandarin. For 40 years, our locally-owned-and-operated business has served our community, making it “Like it never even happened,” through cleaning and restoration services. Whether you need commercial or residential cleanup, restoration, or mold remediation, call (904) 636-0044 or contact us to get started.