Live Longer! Clean Your Air!

 

While indoor air in our homes is typically two to five more polluted than outside air, some homes have been found to contain 100 times more pollution than the air outdoors.

This means that even though your home looks clean, the air your breath could be a totally different matter. Pollutants that can trigger allergies, exacerbate asthma and even lead to lung cancer could be lurking in the air in your home.

There are 2 main factors that can significantly affect indoor air-quality:

1 The cleanliness of your home.

2 “Filters” in your home that trap airborne pollutants. These filters include carpets, soft furnishings and drapes that trap air-borne pollutants, as well as mechanical filters like air-conditioners.

To keep indoor air-quality at healthy levels we must clean the “filters” on a regular basis, otherwise, they will start to hold contaminants and become a source of air pollution

Carpet

The evidence is in. Homes with carpet have better indoor air-quality, providing the carpet is cleaned regularly. To keep your carpet clean, use a good quality HEPA filter vacuum at least once a week with professional cleaning twice a year (according to the Australian Standards), to keep your indoor air filter (a.k.a. your “carpet”) functioning effectively.

Keep hard floors clean

When we walk through rooms with tile or timber floors, we disturb the dust and pollutants on the floor lifting these harmful microscopic particles up into the air. This means regular cleaning with an effective dust-mop or a HEPA filter vacuum designed for hard floors is essential.

I picked up a Dyson V6 vacuum for this purpose in our home and we love it!

Upholstery

Fabric lounges are an amazing indoor air filter, absorbing everything from dust to pollens, pollutants, food and cooking oils that “cook off” in the kitchen. This is in addition to the body oils our lounge collects when we sit on them.

It’s essential to keep your lounge clean with a thorough vacuum every couple of weeks and annual professional cleaning. I’ve got a two year old and a 4 year old, so our lounge gets hammered. In our case professional cleaning every 6 months is essential!

Mattress

Right now, you could be sharing your mattress with a million dust mites! Though they don’t bite, their waste excrement has been known to trigger asthma and allergic reactions. Washing sheets and pillowcases each week helps, but if your mattress is a few years old, you’ll need to be a bit more aggressive. Here’s our tips:

1 Take your mattress outside and place it in the sun. 20 minutes of UV light each side will be enough to wipe out the dust-mite menace.

2 Open up the windows on a regular basis and let the fresh air in!

3 Use a HEPA Filter vacuum to vacuum your mattress.

The best option is professional cleaning to remove the toxic dust-mite waste with a solution to kill those dust-mites and keep them away. If your mattress hasn’t enjoyed professional cleaning in a while and you're waking up with a sniffle or headache, then professional cleaning is a must.

Air Conditioner

Air conditioning is a great way to filter the air you breathe and control humidity levels. But, a dirty air-conditioner will do much more harm than good.

We strongly suggest cleaning the filters every 2 months and whilst you’re at it, clean and empty dip trays that can harbour mould and mildew. Professional cleaning is a must if you can see a build-up of gunk on your air-conditioner fine or you notice musty smell when you turn your air-conditioner on.

Look out for Mould

Mould releases spores which can contain harmful mycotoxins. If you can see a build up of mould anywhere in your home, then take early action. If you plan to treat the mould yourself, use a respiratory mask and apply a mix of water and vinegar to the affected area and sponge off. The vinegar will effectively treat the mould. If a mark remains then clean with sugar-soap wall cleaner or a mild bleach solution.

If the build up of mould is more than you can tackle yourself then professional mould remediation services, such as those offered by Electrodry, is your best course of action.

What You Need To Avoid:

Smoking Indoors

A single cigarette is said to contain over 4,000 different chemicals! Quit if you can, otherwise step outside when you need to smoke. Ask guests and other people to light up outside as well.

Air Fresheners

Sure, air fresheners can make your home smell fresh, but there’s a cost to it. Air fresheners contain a lot of toxic chemicals. Even soap and laundry detergents contain Volatile Organic Compounds that make indoor air poor. Choose natural products that don’t contain VOCs.

Failing To Control Humidity Levels

Ideal humidity levels at home should be between 30% to 50%. Any less or higher than that can create an environment that can be a perfect breeding ground for germs, mould, virus, bacteria, and fungi. Install a dehumidifier to help you keep an eye on humidity levels or use air conditioning to control indoor humidity.

Having Shoes Indoors

Entry rugs can help, but keeping shoes out of the house is better. Most people have no idea what gets stuck under the soles of their shoes as they go about during the day. Faeces, dirt, pesticides, pet dander, road grease, etc. Don’t let outside pollutants into your home by leaving shoes at the door and have slippers indoors.