Healthy Homes

Harmful toxins inside your home or business may be affecting your health and the health of your family or employees. Indoor pollution is a serious problem, and several studies have been conducted to determine exactly how indoor pollutants and allergens affect the health of the building occupants, and best practices to reduce indoor pollution and limit your exposure to these dangerous toxins.

Indoor air pollution covers a vast number of allergens, toxins, and particles that may be present in our homes. According to the EPA’s Guide to Indoor Air Quality, the following are major indoor air pollutants in your home that may be affecting your health:

• Pollen
  Fungi
  Pet Dander
  Dust Mites
  Pesticides
  Asbestos
  Lead
  Environmental Tobacco Smoke

These pollutants have been found by numerous studies to contribute to asthma, allergies, respiratory illnesses, and in some cases can cause severe neurological effects and disease. Pesticides are poisons, and even low levels of exposure can cause symptoms.

How Do Indoor Pollutants Enter My Home?

Soft goods in your home – things like carpeting, upholstery furniture, draperies, bedding, and mattresses – all trap tiny particles, and are the most common places where dust mites, mold and fungi spores, pet dander, pollen, and chemicals are found. These things are found in the air inside our homes, or are tracked into our homes on shoes or clothing from outside.

Where Are Indoor Pollutants Found In My Home?

Indoor pollutants are everywhere inside our home, but the largest concentrations are found carpeting, upholstered furniture, draperies, mattresses, bedding, and other soft materials in the home. Hard surfaces like kitchen floors also can have high concentrations of indoor pollutants.

How Can I Manage Indoor Pollutants In My Home?

Regular dusting, vacuuming, and cleaning of hard surfaces in your home can help manage indoor pollutants in your home, but professional cleaning is necessary to remove trapped particles in your carpets, rugs, furniture, and draperies. Work with a professional cleaner who understands how these things affect your health, and who proactively works to remove harmful particles from your home.

It’s also important to hire a cleaner who follows industry standards, and ensures their cleaning method is safe and effective. You want to be sure that contaminated soils are removed.