Making your own REUSABLE furnace filter!

Changing your air filter to your furnace does not need to cost a lot.  In fact, it couldn’t be simpler.  Consider making “reusable” one!!  It is more eco-friendly, time efficient AND friendly to your budget. 

We learned about this when it was time to replace our furnace filter in our *new* home.  Not one store carried the size we needed!!  (And I thought there were standard sizes!!)  Turns out, you can make your OWN furnace filter out of this blue stuff called "Natural Aire".    

This is sold at hardware store likes Lowe's or Home Depot.  

When I was revisiting Lowe's to write this entry, the cost for a one-time-use furnace filter ranges from $3-$15....if you replace your furnace filter like you are supposed to do, the cost adds up (while your energy bill goes down.)  Why not equal the playing field and only buy the filter ONCE and enjoy the energy savings without having to monthly purchase a new furnace filter!! (Or actually CHANGE it once a month instead of "getting your money's worth out of it".)

The PRICE of one of these blue things at Lowe's....found on the furnace filter isle!

We made 2 out of the material so we could have one “in use” and "to replace the dirty one" as soon as it came out (NO waiting for it to dry).

The Homemade Furnace Filter Recipe:

1)      Measure the area of your furnace filter space.  Double the dimensions so you can buy enough to make 2.
2)      Purchase  this Blue filter stuff from your local hardware store (such as Lowe’s or Home Depot).  It can be found on the furnace filter isle.
3)      Cut out 2 furnace filters.  You could just take a black sharpie and trace your OLD filter on the blue filter stuff and cut it out.....BUT if you are a perfectionist like me,  It is easiest to make it “square” by using a tool called a "Carpenter's Square" (resembling a “T”) OR using quilting board, squaring device and marker.

This is a carpenter's square

After pondering using quilting supplies, please omit using the rotary cutter as it will ruin your blade.  Use these squaring supplies to DRAW the line and then cut with scissors instead of ruining your rotary blade!

This is our READY made reusable furnace filter!

4)      Insert one filter into your space and store the other one.  (We keep ours on top of the water heater.)

This is our dirty one coming out...

This is the *new* CLEAN one put in...

Our finished product...doesn't look any different, does it?

5)      Change your furnace filter every month for best results.  To change them:  Remove the dirty one and insert the nice clean dry #2.  Bring the dirty one to the bathroom and spray it off with the shower head.  Let it dry and store it until you need to replace it next month! 

Wala!  An EASY reusable furnace filter that costs you little in time and money!