With winter, indoor air quality worsens, leading to a greater opportunity for colds during the season. Here are some solutions to keep indoor air healthier.

1. Open the windows every now and then. On warmer winter days, fresh air can actually kill germs, flushing them from stuffy rooms.

2. Get rid of poor indoor air quality at the source. Clean air ducts and replace furnace filters regularly to prevent germs from re-circulating throughout your home all season long.

3. Use air purifiers. The best air cleaners can help reduce the cold and flu virus, especially in closed spaces. Air purifiers can also safely remove 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns, including pollen, ragweed and other allergens, viruses, germs, dust mites, mold spores, pet dander and cigarette smoke–all factors that contribute to compromised lung function and make anyone in a winterized household more susceptible to airborne germs. You may want to consider certain air cleaners which feature allergy and flu settings to help during flu season and also allergy season in the spring.

It’s also important to know that during cold and flu season babies are more susceptible to the airborne germs circulating in your home. In fact, babies breathe an average of 30-60 times a minute–that’s more than double the amount of an adult. Considering that a baby’s lung are not yet fully developed at birth, and with their faster breathing rate, respiratory illnesses can account for the most health problems among infants. Specially designed baby air purifiers kept in a nursery can aid with reducing airborne pollutants around a young child.

You may also want to look for air purifiers that feature carbon filters for odor, and definitely a True HEPA filter to help reduce as many airborne pollutants as possible. Some air purifiers also feature alerts to let you know when it is time to change the air filter, and quiet performance so that you can run your air purifier in a baby’s room or while you sleep without any disturbance.

Be sure to choose your air purifier by room size. Some air cleaners are perfect for small rooms. For larger spaces, make sure the air cleaner you choose has the capacity to cover the square footage of the area you want to be purified.

If you have pets, you may also want to consider air cleaners that help with pet dander and other allergens that are associated with dogs and cats. You don’t have to curse your pets for your sneezing anymore.

Air fresheners by their commonality may seem harmless enough for providing a clean fresh scent indoor scent. However, in a  study by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC)  many air freshener products contain phthalates, hazardous chemicals known to cause hormonal abnormalities, birth defects and reproductive problems.  NRDC’s independent testing of 14 common air fresheners, none of which listed phthalates as an ingredient, uncovered these chemicals in 86 percent of the products tested.

Time Magazine, however, raised questions about the research. “While the study looked at which air fresheners contain the chemicals and how much, it did not assess people’s exposure to phthalates from these products — the size of the room, the distance from the air freshener and how long a person stays in the room are all factors that would affect potential toxicity.”

“We’re not saying that there’s any clear-cut evidence here for health effects,” says Dr. Gina Solomon of the NRDC. “If consumers want to reduce overall exposure, avoid these products or pick ones with lower levels.”

Some fresh air alternatives

If there are health concerns about air fresheners, here are some alternatives for improved indoor air quality:

1. Open the Windows-There is no substitute for good ventilation
2. Houseplants-Scientists funded by NASA say their research shows that plants clean indoor air. These scientists and other vigorous advocates say that plants have been cleaning the earth’s atmosphere for millions of years, why not your indoor air as well?
3. Air purifiers- safely removes 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns!

Why Purify Your Indoor Air? Learn more

Make Sure Your Air Purifier has the right filters: see the video

The holiday season is also cold and flu season. We spend a lot of time entertaining and at holiday parties, which means a lot of opportunities for airborne viruses to spread. According to one report, one person sneezing can infect an entire room with Influenza A. This microbe can survive  for up to 24 hours and spread to holiday guests six feet away—even without a sneeze to send it along.

Here is a holiday to-do list to make sure we don’t give or receive germs for Christmas:

1       Get a flu shot

During this time, flu viruses are circulating in the population. An annual seasonal flu vaccine (either the flu shot or the nasal-spray flu vaccine) is the best way to reduce the chances that you will get seasonal flu and spread it to others. When more people get vaccinated against the flu, less flu can spread through that community. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

2.       Clean hands, clean surfaces

During the holiday rush, we may forget to keep our hands clean even after simple contact such as shaking hands at the office. Use pocket hand sanitizer to make minimizing the spread of germs convenient. The same can be said for surfaces in our home, especially after someone in the house has already been sick. Be sure to disinfect key germ-carrying surfaces such as the TV remote control and the door handles to refrigerators and microwaves.

3.       Purify your indoor air

The impact of an air purifier, even running discreetly in the background of your holiday get-together, can be dramatic. The Fellowes AeraMax captures 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns, which can help clean the air of those stubborn viruses, ensuring cleaner and healthier holiday entertaining.