Health Risks of Too Much Home Dust

According to a study provided by NIEHS (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences), home dust can produce chemicals called endotoxins. These chemicals are linked to respiratory problems that can trigger a variety of asthma symptoms including wheezing. This study showed that the dust found on the floors of bedrooms caused the most problems for homeowners. It also showed that the inhabitants of homes with the highest levels of endotoxins experienced the most severe asthma symptoms and respiratory conditions.

Some other health risks associate with too much home dust includes the follow:

• Sinus conditions
• Congestion
• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Postnasal drip
• Inflammation
• Dermatitis
• Eczema

Dust is made up partly from living organisms and it can be a real problem especially for allergy sufferers or someone with any other type of upper respiratory condition. However, there are ways to reduce the amount of dust in your home making it a safer place for your family and the following tips and suggestions can help.

Quick Cleaning Tips to Help Manage Home Dust

Managing the dust in your home can seem like a losing battle at times but there are a few things that you can do to make this task a little easier. One of the first things that you'll need to do is keep the air filters changed in your heating and cooling unit. When these become dirty they tend to blow dust through the vents located throughout your home instead of trapping it in the filter.

When dusting, use a damp cloth or furniture polish to help capture the dust as you clean. A dry cloth will spread it around but the dust will cling to a wet one making it easier to eliminate it. Try using an air purifier to help clean the air in your home and eliminate dust particles. HEPA filters are recommended because they'll trap more and help keep your home cleaner.

Vacuum carpets and mop floors regularly. This is very important and it's recommended to do so at least three times a week. One last tip is to reduce the clutter in your home. When things are cluttered up, they attract dust and it's harder to clean.

Suggestions for Getting Rid Of Home Dust in Extra Dirty Homes

If your home is extra dusty and regular cleaning just doesn't seem to be enough, you may need to make some major changes. For example, if you have carpet, consider replacing it with a different type of flooring. Carpets are a huge dust collector because it sticks to the fibers in the carpet and every time someone walks across it, dust is stirred up. Once they get old, it's almost impossible to keep them clean.

Dust and damp mop in-between regular cleanings and this will help keep it under control. It only takes a few minutes to damp mop and it will make a huge difference. It's also a good idea to limit the number of knick-knacks sitting around. These tend to collect dust and they make it harder to keep things clean. Now that you know the health risks of too much home dust you can see how important it is too keep your home clean and these tips can help.

Sources:

http://www.newsdial.com/asthma/dust-asthma.html

http://www.asthma.org.au/Publications/tabid/62/Publications/221/Health-Risks-of-Dust-in-your-Home.aspxhttp://www.hgtv.com/home-improvement/keep-dust-down/index.html