Dust
can be more than just a sign that you haven't been keeping up on your cleaning
chores lately. Contaminants, both from the air in your home and things you've tracked in from the outside, can settle into your dust and create a dangerous
health situation for you and your family. Read on for more information about
just why it is so important to get that dust out of your home on a regular
basis.
Exposure
to the contaminants in dust is much higher for children than adults, and even
higher for children who crawl. Some of the things that can be found in your
dust include metals such as: arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury,
manganese; and pesticides such as: Dieldrin, Chlordane, DDT, Dursban, and
Ortho-phenylphenol. Just like in food, if you can't pronounce it, it’s not
going to be good for you. Some of these things you've probably never heard of,
but lead, arsenic, and DDT are always in the news. People are worried about
trace amounts of arsenic in apple juice, but not about the levels of it in their
own home? Other things in your home’s dust can be allergens, pet dander, fungal
spores, insect scales, bacteria and dust-mite feces. There’s been evidence that
carpets, when they're clean, act like magnets to these particles. Because of
this, the airborne particles are lower in clean carpeted rooms than in rooms
with hard-surfaced floors. But if the carpet is not kept clean, the particles
get released back into the air and the levels are higher than rooms with
hard-surfaced floors.
How
do you get rid of this seemingly irremovable dust? A big step in the right
direction is to place doormats by every exterior door, including the door
between your garage and house. If you can, have a hard surfaced walkway leading
to your door (like a sidewalk). Place a grate-like scraper mat outside your
door to scrape your shoes on before going inside. Inside, have an absorbent
doormat that will trap soil and water. Some people recommend another mat after
this if you have space, but taking the additional step to remove your shoes and
leave them at the door is more than enough. Bonus, this will reduce wear and
tear on your floors! Controlling the humidity in your home (50%) will keep your
home at a level that won’t support growth of fungi, mold and dust
mites. Clean the filters on furnaces, air conditioners and cold air return
registers. Clean all carpets and fabrics regularly. Exterminate household
insect pests, but use pesticides as a last resort. Keep organic debris,
like Fluffy and Scruffy droppings and fallen leaves, picked up in your yard.
This
is the report the EPA has on
their website for more information about pollutants in the home. Our
friendly neighbors to the north also have some
thoughts about what is in your home and how to get rid of it.
