This post is meant to gross you out. To scare you. To make you never want to make the same mistakes as me. EVER.

So, what’s this post about, exactly??  Well, let me show you……

What is that disgusting, grody nastiness, you ask?? Why it’s our AIR FILTER. Grossed-out yet? I am. Oh, I really am.

I’d been noticing more dust around the house than normal lately (especially in our bedroom) and realized that we hadn’t changed our air filter…. ooooh, since we moved in. Last February. Our air filter is located in the ceiling of our hallway, It’s a darker area of our home and since it’s up high (and I’m vertically-challenged) I never really thought to look up. So, imagine my horror when I finally checked it out and discovered this…

Oh holy crow. How did I let this happen?? Upon further inspection I realized that not only was the filter and vent cover a crusty mess, the builder had installed a BENT filter. I’m not sure if you can see (I couldn’t get the right angle with my camera), but it’s bent so badly that about 1/4 of the vent above it was clearly exposed with NO filtration whatsoever….

Gross. Just gross. No wonder so much dust had been accumulating. Not to mention our recently increasing allergy symptoms.

I opened the vent to figure out the measurements of the filter (it was 20x30x1). The measurement is usually printed on the side edge of the filter for any newbie vent changers. Then, I immediately headed to Lowe’s and picked up a value pack of these Filtrete filters….

No more cheapo filters here. I value my lungs. And sinuses. And Swiffer rags.

I climbed up our ladder once I got home and removed the vent cover and nasty filter….

…placed the filter in a large garbage bag, then went to town cleaning the vent cover with my Swiffer duster rags. I used THREE rags to clean that dust-bunny-encrusted thing. It took THREE. And the vent cover isn’t huge. That’s how much dust was on it. Next, I figured out which direction to install the filter which is shown here by this arrow….

The arrow should point in the direction of air flow. So, in my case it would point up, away from the vent cover. I climbed back on my ladder, popped the filter up into the vent hole and replaced the cover.

And, scene.

It was so embarrassingly easy, that I can’t believe I let 11 months go by without replacing our air filter. Needless to say, lesson learned. I’ll be replacing this sucker within the recommended 3-6 month period from now on. If only to save my pride. Of which I have none at the moment (in case you’re wondering).

So, really, I wanted to include this post as a reminder for any procrastinators out there like myself. Change your air filters regularly. And save your gag reflex a workout.

Also, I hope everybody has a terrific New Years!!  Have fun and be safe!  I’ll be enjoying the holiday with family and will be back with my regularly scheduled program on Friday.  And just to make myself accountable… my New Years resolution is to workout at least twice per week (as opposed to twice per month as it’s been lately).  What’s your resolution?