The cold winter months mean spending more time indoors and less time outdoors in fresh air. Winter is a good time of year to make sure the air quality at home is healthy and clean.

When heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) professionals clean the air ducts in clients' homes, they often remove about 15 pounds of debris and contaminants. Bugs, mold, mildew and debris accumulate in dirty ducts and blow through homes. Plus, mice, rats and insects can nest in dirty air ducts, causing more air quality concerns. This leads to breathing in contaminants, germs, odd smells, dust and other pollutants.

As if that's not enough, dirty air ducts clog and stress expensive HVAC systems. Homeowners may not realize that until they find themselves shivering in cold weather, profusely sweating in the summer or looking at a sky-high utility bill.

The good news is that there are easy ways to ensure air ducts are clean, systems are efficient, and a home's air is healthy. Here are seven ways to work with HVAC professionals to keep the air at home fresh:

The HVAC professionals at Atlas Butler are trained to work with customers to determine the best ways to improve air quality in the home. Visit atlasbutler.com or call 1-800-FURNACE to discuss options to keep household members breathing the freshest air possible.