Everyday Cleaning

Air
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We use air every minute of every day--and it's free. The problem is, heat and air-conditioning don't come free, so we spend much of the year with our homes hermetically sealed to save money.But trapped in there with us are dust mites, airborne chemicals, cooking fumes, and, with some of us, cigarette smoke, carbon monoxide from fireplaces and wood stoves, pet dander, and other pollutants and irritants.

Some simple air-cleaning solutions cost nothing.

• Good ventilation will do more than anything else to freshen the air in your home. When you get up in the morning, open a window in each room of the house for five minutes no matter what the temperature is outside.
• Smooth surfaces--tile or hardwood floors, for instance--will keep the air cleaner, too, because allergens love to collect in upholstery, curtains, and carpets.
• Using baking soda or vinegar to absorb odors may reduce smells, but they aren't really doing much to clean the air. The same is true of aerosol spray air freshers, which pump more chemicals into your environment.

Clean your furnace filter regularly. Forced-air heating and cooling systems are major contributors to indoor air pollution. They blow air all around your house through a system of ducts, spreading dust, mites, and mold. At least a couple of times a year, change the furnace air filter that stands between the furnace blower and yours home's ductwork. Also consider getting small vent filters that fit over the vents in each room. Avoid sleeping directly in the path of furnace vents, unless you prefer that those blown particles settle in your lungs rather than on your dresser. If dust has built up inside the ducts, call a professional duct-cleaning service to vacuum them out.

For Super Sneeze Control

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more serious allergen control, consider buying an air filter unit--especially if allergens are a medical problem and less expensive approaches haven't solved it. There are several technologies to choose from, but for general removal of particles from the air, you'll probably have the most success
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

with a HEPA filter (that's high efficiency particulate air filter, for you trivia buffs). Most HEPA filters are small units, much like a dehumidifier, that sit in your room and trap microscopic particles by drawing air through fine disposable filters and returning the air to the room. The filters are so efficient that they're often used in hospitals and industrial "Clean rooms." You can also get a HEPA filter for a central heating and cooling system, but that kind is very expensive.

Control the humidity in your home. Heating systems can create extremely dry air, which can be corrected with a humidifier or for your home is about 40 to 50 percent. Let the air get much damper than that and you encourage mold growth. If you use a humidifier, remember to clean it frequently to prevent mold from growing in it. You might think houseplants would do great things for your home's air, since they gobble up carbon dioxide and expel oxygen. But you might be better off flexing your

To control allergens in the air around you, you have to go to the source of the problem.

green thumb outdoors--those moist pots of soil are splendid breeding grounds for mold.

• To control pet dander and mites, wash your pets frequently--every two weeks if someone in your home has allergies.
• To keep smoke to a minimum, limit the number of fires you have in the fireplace and, if you or another member of your household simply must have  a cigratte, smoke it outside.
• To keep dust mites under wraps, put a plastic mattress cover over that mattress where you spend a third of your life, and put a mattress pad over the plastic. (Otherwise, the plastic will collect your perspiration.)

See also Fireplaces,Furnaces, and Humidifiers.

Air Conditioners

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Being cool will cost less if you clean your air conditioner properly. Whether you have central air-conditioning or window units, dirt and debris can restrict airflow through the filter and around the cooling elements, forcing the unit to work harder and use more electricity than necessary to do its job.

Cleaning a central air conditioner's filter is the most important thing you can do to keep it functioning well. The filter, which snatches dust and other gunk from the air that's being distributed around your house, is usually indoors and is shared with your furnace. You'll find it next to the furnace, at the beginning of your air duct system under a grate or cover. (see illustration in Furnace.)
Pull the filter out once a month and check it. If it's covered with dirt, which can happen in just a month during times of heavy use, the filter needs replacing or cleaning. If your system uses a
disposable filter, just slide a new one into place. (Look for arrows on the filter indicating the direction of airflow.) If you have a reusable aluminum or plastic filter, take it outside and use a
garden hose to wash it. Then prop it upright and let it dry thoroughly before sliding it back into place.

Cleaning a central air's outdoor unit--that large R2D2-shaped thing in your hand--should be done once a year at the beginning of the season. Do it more often if you live near a dirt road or other source
of dust and grime. First turn the unit off. (Use the circuit breaker or the electrical disconnect on the 

unit--not the thermostat.) The electrical parts of your unit should be well sealed against the weather, but check anyway that no parts are exposed. (Call a technician if they are.)

Then take off the grille and panel on top of the outdoor unit. The grille and top panel are usually attached by hexagonal cap nuts that can be removed easily with an adjustable wrench. Also remove any guard covering the coil that's wrapped around the unit. The guard is usually held by screws or bolts at the bottom. Then tie

plastic garbage bags around the fan motor and any other exposed electrical parts. Gently brush dirt from the outer fins and coil with a stiff-bristled brush. Using your garden hose, spray from inside the unit to wash away grass clippings, twigs, and dirt on the coil. Hose away any fire ants, too. These insects like to set up housekeeping around the warmth of condenser units. They can block airflow and damage your unit's electronics.

For a Smooth-Running Air Conditioner

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Before restarting a central air conditioner in the spring or after a long shutdown, restore power to the unit for 24 hours. This produces the heat needed to separate the oil from the refrigerant so that the compressor can run more smoothly.
• Before restarting any air conditioner after a brief interruption, turn off the thermostat for at least five minutes to lessen strain on the compressor. 
• To avoid damaging the compressor on an air conditioner, don't operate the unit when it's below 60 degrees F outside.
• Lubricate the fan motor yearly if the motor has oil ports.
  
  ( The Ports usually have metal or rubber caps and are found on older units.) Use nondetergent, lightweight SAE 20 oil; add no more than ten drops per port to an outdoor central unit, five drops for a window unit. 
• Prune vegetation away from an outdoor unit by 2 feet on each side and above. When mowing, spray grass clippings away from the unit. And in the fall, keep the fan grille free of leaves.
• Keep potential obstructions, such as curtains, furniture, and houseplants, 2 feet away from a window unit. Outside, trim shrubs that block the unit's coils or the airflow to them.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Don't use cleaning chemicals, brushes, or a power hose on your condenser unit, because they can damage the delicate aluminium fins.