Getting a Nursery or Kids' Room Ready: A Fresh-Air Guide for Austin Parents

Quick answer: Get a nursery or kids' room ready in this order: repairs and low-VOC paint first, then time to air out, then furniture unboxed early, then washed fabrics. Keep the room's humidity between about 40% and 50%, make sure it gets real airflow, change the HVAC filter every 1 to 3 months, and keep strong fragrances out.

Why start with the air, not the decor?

Because the air is easiest to get right while the room is still empty. Most of the planning for a nursery or kid's room goes into colors, cribs and storage, which is the fun part. But kids spend long hours in their rooms, sleeping, napping and playing on the floor, so a little planning up front helps the room feel fresh and comfortable from day one.

One note before we start: this guide is about comfort and fresh air in the home. Anything medical about your child is a question for your pediatrician.

What order should you do the work in?

Paint first, furniture later. The sequence makes a big difference:

1. Do repairs and paint first. Fix anything that needs fixing, then paint.
2. Air out the room. Give the paint time to dry and the smell time to fade.
3. Refresh the air in the home. If you're planning a whole-home treatment, do it now, while the room is still empty.
4. Bring in furniture and let it air out before the room is used.
5. Wash all fabrics and finish setting up.

How long should new paint and furniture air out?

Give paint a few weeks and new furniture several days. New paint, furniture, mattresses and rugs all give off smells as they settle in. Much of that "new" smell comes from VOCs, short for volatile organic compounds: chemicals that turn into vapor at room temperature.

A few simple steps help:

• Choose low-VOC or zero-VOC paint, follow the directions on the can, and let it dry fully before the room is used.
• Paint well ahead of time. A few weeks before the room is needed is ideal.
• Unbox furniture and mattresses early. When you can, unwrap them in the garage or a spare room with good airflow and let them sit for several days.
• Open windows when the weather allows, and set a box fan in one, facing out, to pull fresh air through.
• Run the HVAC fan on ON for a few hours at a time while things air out, then switch it back to AUTO. Left on all day in an Austin summer, the fan can push humidity back up. Our fan settings guide explains why.

What humidity is best for a nursery in Central Texas?

Between about 40% and 50%. In Central Texas, humidity is the big one: damp air makes a room feel stuffy and helps odors hang on in fabrics, carpet and closets.

• Put a small hygrometer on a shelf. This inexpensive gauge shows the room's humidity at a glance.
• Keep the AC running through the long cooling season, so it keeps pulling moisture out.
• Consider a whole-home dehumidifier if the house stays humid even with the AC on. Gold Eagle Services installs them and can check that your system handles humidity well.
• Watch the closet. A closet gets little conditioned air, so it can run damper than the room. Leave the door cracked and don't pack it too tight.

Our Central Texas humidity guide has more detail.

How do you know the room gets enough airflow?

Hold a tissue near the supply vent while the system runs: it should flutter. Some bedrooms, especially ones at the end of a long duct run or over a garage, get less air than the rest of the house, and a warm, stuffy kids' room is a common complaint.

• Keep the supply and return vents clear. Don't park the crib or a dresser on top of one.
• Leave the door open a few inches if the room has no return vent of its own, or ask about a transfer grille, a vent through the wall or above the door that lets air flow back out.
• Ask about a balance check if the room stays hotter than the rest of the home. Gold Eagle can check the ductwork and airflow room by room.

Which HVAC filter should you use?

A good pleated filter that fits snugly, changed on schedule. It's an easy win: your HVAC filter catches dust, dander and pollen as air moves through the home.

• Change it every 1 to 3 months, on the shorter end during cedar season or if you have pets.
• Write the date on the filter's edge so you remember.
• Consider a portable HEPA filter sized for the room if you'd like extra filtration.

Should a nursery be fragrance-free?

Many parents choose to keep strong scents out of the nursery, and it's easy to do.

• Choose fragrance-free laundry detergent, and skip dryer sheets for baby clothes and bedding.
• Skip plug-in air fresheners and scented candles in the room.
• Clean with mild, fragrance-free products, and dust with a damp cloth so you catch the dust instead of stirring it up.
• Wash new bedding, curtains and soft toys before use.

When should you schedule a dry fog treatment?

After painting and before the new furniture and bedding come in. If you want to give the whole home a fresh start before a new baby arrives, or before a child moves into a new room, a whole-home dry fog treatment reaches the ductwork, closets and corners that regular cleaning misses. It helps reduce the bio-load, our name for the tiny particles and microbes that build up in a home's air, on its surfaces and inside its HVAC over time.

Our treatment uses the patented Pure Maintenance VaPURE dry fog system in two steps: a fine dry fog of a hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid solution that breaks down into water, oxygen and vinegar, then a surface protectant. It reaches every room, surface and closet, plus the HVAC ductwork, without getting things wet. The dry fog treatment is done in one day.

Important: no one can be in the home during a treatment, including kids, pets and anyone who is expecting. Plan for everyone to spend the day somewhere else, and follow our preparation guide and after-treatment guide for when it's okay to come back.

Get a free phone consultation

Pure Maintenance Austin, brought to you by Gold Eagle Services, serves all of Central Texas, out to College Station (about 2.5 hours), including Round Rock, Georgetown, San Marcos, Bastrop and Marble Falls. Book a free phone consultation: a Comfort Advisor calls you, learns what's going on in your home and sends a written quote based on square footage. Call 512-904-4646 or email IAQ@goldeagleservices.com. We're open Monday through Saturday, 7am to 7pm.