Here is a free printable cleaning checklist on how to eliminate germs and bacteria on surfaces as well as how to clean the indoor air pollution that builds up during the winter months. These simple steps will help prevent illness and sinus infections as well as dramatically improve the air quality in your home!
Simply hang it on the inside of your medicine cabinet for a quick resource at your fingertips!
 Print Free File: Winter Guide to Clean In-Door Air {printable}
How To Prevent Illness
This winter has been a doozie hasn’t it? Everyone I know has been sick and everyone I know is starting to get cabin fever. I’ve taken matters into my own hands and researched how air quality is linked to illnesses and uncomfortable physical symptoms in order to try to eliminate them!
Increase Your Indoor Air Quality!
Did you know that “Poor indoor air quality can cause a range of physical and psychological symptoms?” Those headaches, itchy eyes nose and throat and respiratory issues can be linked to poor air quality!
In order to improve the indoor air quality in my home, I came up with a printable checklist to help keep my air clean. Feel free to download the free printable and join me this winter as I clean and use filters to get the air in my home as clean as possible!
 Print Free File: Winter Guide to Clean In-Door Air {printable}
1. Eliminate Germs & Bacteria on Surfaces
- Bleach rinse in washing machine ~ This is something that is so important, and easy. It just takes a little bleach and a reminder!
- Clean your computer ~ Do this on a regular basis. If your fingers are constantly on your key board then it makes sense that you want it as clean as possible!
- Deep dust your furniture and blinds ~ Germs and pathogens can live in dust so you want to try to eliminate as much of the dust from your home as you can.
- Don’t forget to vacuum inside your couch and dust ceiling fans.
- Cobwebs? Catch ‘em!
- Window seals? Wipe ‘em down!
- Deep clean floors.
- Sweep and mop laminate or wood floors at least once a week.
- Steam clean carpets every 6 months to a year.
- Wash mattress covers in a hot wash cycle. {you want a bacteria-killing temperature}
- Disinfect all door knobs in the house ~ If you have kids, this is a great job for them. Give them some antibacterial wipes and have them do this once a week!
2. Clean Indoor Air Pollution
Here’s a list of filters and annual inspections to help keep your indoor air clean:
- Change your furnace filters every 3 months.
- Change air filters in your air conditioner quarterly.
- Clean the air with air purifiers ~ Oreck sells room purifiers that eliminate pollen, dust, pet dander, smoke and other odors.
- Make sure the HEPA filter in your vacuum is in good condition.
- Inspect exterior doors and windows for crevice cracks leaky seals.
- Inspect fireplace damper for proper closing and opening and screen the top of chimney to keep out pests.
According to the EPA, the air inside your home may be up to 5 times more polluted than the air outside. Ack! No wonder so many people get sick during the winter when everyone is cooped up inside. Filters go a long was in eliminating indoor pollution and bacteria.
Everyone has heard of HEPA filters, but do you know how they work or why they are important? {I didn’t}. HEPA filters {at least the ones in Oreck filters} capture 99.97% of dust, allergens, smoke, pet dander and pollen particles as small as .3 microns from the air that passes through its filter. That means that all those yucky pollutants get captured by the filter in the room instead of your lungs.
I hope that you find this printable helpful. This winter especially as it seems like everyone is getting sick, I wanted to do all that I can to keep my family healthy. If doing a little cleaning and filter maintenance is something easy that I can do to clean my air, I’m all for it. I thought that if this was on my mind, it might be on yours too! {wink}.
And, I’m totally hooking a Tip Junkie reader up with a free $500 Air Purifier by Oreck. It’s called the Oreck AirInstinct 200 and you can turn it on and walk away. It’s got the smart technology we all love!
Ends Tuesday, February 21st.
**Oreck Corporation provided the prize for the sweepstakes as well as a product for review, but is not the sponsor of the sweepstakes.
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Comments
This is great! It has filters that last three years? Fabulous!
I want one!!!
Wow! This would be fantastic! We have 3 wonderful cats at our house.
This would be awesome to have! We have 2 german shepherds and a cat. It would be wonderful to know that the air was cleaner for us
This would be great for us. I have really bad allergies and my boys are both starting to act like they may have inherited my allergies. And air purifier would be PERFECT for our house!
I would love one…my whole family has horrible allergies – this would be great!
Thanks so much!
This would be fabulous – itchy watery eyes and stuffy nose abound at my house!!
That is a great giveaway!! Count me in!
Wow! This would be a great win! Something totally useful!
What a great giveaway. I need one of these.
This would be great for my home.
Giveaway
I would LOVE this!! I am in the process of embracing cleaner living. This fits right in with my lifestyle changes. =)
I would love to win this. i totally love your website. My husband and daughter both have allergies and this would be a great prize to win.
I’m a new reader. I love your tips! I need this air filter. I feel like I’ve been sick more this winter than than ever before.
air purifier
WOW!! I would love one of these in our home. Thanks for the awesome giveaway!!
Oreck Air Purifier
As I sit here with yet another sinus infection, I would LOVE to have an air purifier for our family.
Oooo. I would love an air purifier. My son and I both have killer allergies. It’s been a rough winter, and spring is just around the corner!
oreck air purifier
I want one!
Oreck Air Filter
With 2 2-month olds in the house, I need one!!
Air Purifier
What a great give-away opportunity. – This site’s tips are awesome. Read it everyday.
Air Purifier
My son has asthma, and I would love to win this air purifier! Thanks for the great tips and giveaway!
air purifier
I would love one!
Christian Louboutin Outlet
Thanks for the great tips and giveaway!
Oreck Giveaway!
Thanks for the chance, have always wanted to try an Air Purifier!
Oreck Giveaway!
I would love one! Have heard lots of great things about Oreck!
oreck airinstinct 200
I would love one of these…with the oreck it takes out 99.97% of all the bad things that people with asthma, like me, would love to live without!
Awesome tips and giveaway!!!
Great tips! My husband is paralyzed with a suppresses immune system and between that and my asthma, this is realllyy needed and it would be awesome to win it!
I desperately need one of these air filters. My oldest just started kindergarten this past fall and not a single week has gone by since then that someone in this house hasn’t been sick. My youngest will be starting kindergarten next fall and I sure hope next year is better for us than this year has been. Thank you for the checklist and for offering this giveaway!
Orek airfilter
Wow! This is great! I need one!
AWESOME
After being home for 2 days with a sinus infection, I definitely think I need one of these!!!
woohoo clean air
We would be sooooo appreciative to win this! xoxox fingers crossed!
the cleaner the better!
Ooh! this would be fab at our house! with 4 boys ages 6 and under, we need all the help we can get in the clean department!
thanks!
Thanks for this giveaway opportunity!
AWESOME!
You guys are super cool! Thanks so much for the info, free printable, AND a chance to win the air purifier!! SO awesome!!
I just got diagnosed with asthma and now i am allergic to my 18 year old cat. I could use a little air cleansing in my house.
www.goodcleansoap.wordpress.com
great tips & here’s one more “wipe down those light switches!”
stay fabulous!
Air Purifier
I would love to win this! We live in an older home and knowing the air my kids breathe is purified would be awesome, especially during the winter months.
hepa air purifier
I am constantly getting sinus infections and have checked out air purifiers to always walk away unsure of what I was really looking for. I know it would help my allergies so much and I just need to take the plunge and make the investment. This info was very helpful, thank you!
Oreck Filter!
I’m getting ready to have my air ducts and carpet cleaned. Having this filter would sure help with our weekly infections/colds around here.
You hit the nail on the head about this being a doozie. I can’t wait for Spring when I can open the windows and doors.
Thank you and thanks to Oreck for this chance to win.
~Sharon
Oreck Filter!
I would love an Oreck Filter. My 3 year old has non-stop sinus infections and allergies as well. We put our pillows and comforters in the dryer every week for 15 minutes on hot to help eliminate dust mites and try to keep our house as clean as possible. I would really like to clean up our air as well.
Margie