After enough time has passed, your home’s air filter is left dark gray and tattered by the buildup of dirt and grime.

If that visual isn’t enough, here are five reasons you need to start changing your air filter now if you aren’t already.

1. Cleaner Air, Cleaner Home

The cleanliness of your air has a surprising correlation to the cleanliness of your home. Every time we walk around, moving blankets, or sweep the house, dust mites, dead skin cells, and dirt are kicked up into the air.

Filters are particularly good at catching dust. So, for families that often forgo dusting in the weekly chores, a frequently replaced air filter captures particles and leaves surfaces looking cleaner.

2. Better Air, Better Sleep

The air passing through an overly dirty filter—or going entirely unfiltered—carries dust, allergens, and even mold spores. When you turn on the fans at night to cool down your bedrooms before bed, this dirty air is blown right to you.

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You inhale this while you sleep. Throat and lung irritation caused by poor air quality causes poorer sleep; some family members might even wake in the middle of the night because of it.

3. Surviving Allergy Season

Allergy season is the time of year when local trees release pollen—and that pollen can find its way into our homes. These spores irritate our lungs, eyes, and even our skin, but keeping them outside of the house is virtually impossible.

Clean air filters do a better job of collecting pollen in your home’s air. They provide you and your loved ones some relief from constant itching and sneezing.

4. Preventing Maintenance Costs

The air filter seems like a small part of any HVAC system, especially when you know that air conditioning still runs with or without it. Air filters catch the dust and dirt that builds up in your ventilation and hinder your AC’s ability to work properly.

Overwork your AC enough by allowing the system to clog and the maintenance costs will quickly beat out the cost of simply replacing the filter each month.

5. Lowering Electric Bills

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When your HVAC system needs to work harder due to clogged ducts or poor filtration, your energy bills rise. The less functional your air filter is, the more difficult moving air through your home becomes.

Replacing air filters regularly is an easy way to keep your HVAC system running efficiently and save on your next electricity bill.

The biggest reason you need to start changing your air filter now is that air quality affects the health of you and your loved ones. There are many ways to improve air quality at home, but air filters are truly built for the job. Changing your air filter every three months will be enough to get you and your loved ones breathing better.