You’re going to have a new baby! Allow us to be the first HVAC company to say, “Congratulations!” There’s lots you need to do to prepare. How do you make sure your home is a happy, healthy environment for your newborn?
Here are a few tips for baby home preparation.
Cleaning.
Many women get a strong urge to clean the house while they’re pregnant. This is your body telling you to get the house ready for your new arrival. But be careful with the chemicals and solvents used in cleaning. Inhaling their fumes could cause have negative effects on the baby. If you’re going to clean, use ordinary soap and water. Anything that requires more than that, leave it to your family, or hire a professional, while you stay out of the way.
Ideal temperature.
Infants are more sensitive to temperature than adults, and overheat more easily. Therefore, it’s important to keep their environment cool. The baby’s room should be between 68 and 72 degrees at all times. You might consider getting a zoned HVAC system, with a separate thermostat for the baby’s room that can be adjusted independently.
Ideal humidity.
In contrast, the humidity level babies thrive at is a bit higher than normal. But be careful. If the humidity is too high, it fosters mold, mildew, and bacteria, which are unhealthy for you and your baby. Think about investing in a whole-house humidifier, with a humidistat to adjust humidity levels to your preference. Keep it above 30 and no higher than 55 percent.
Indoor air quality.
The quality of the air in your home is many times worse than the quality of the air outside. It’s filled with dust, bacteria, and other allergens and contaminants that are harmful for your baby to breathe. So part of baby home preparation is improving your IAQ. Replace the air filter in your HVAC system, and check it regularly to make sure it isn’t clogged.
To learn more about baby home preparation and other HVAC topics, contact us at Ace Hardware Home Services. We’re Dayton’s trusted source for quality heating and cooling solutions.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
