October 29, 2012

Dust and Contaminants in the Home


                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.