Your Healthy Home
Posted by Rick Brouwer on Wed, Mar 30, 2011 @ 02:55 PM
Keeping Your Home at Its Healthiest
Many different factors can contribute to the overall health of your home. The best way to reduce allergic reactions to dust, mold, and other indoor allergens is to reduce your exposure to them. Here are a few tips on how to help keep you and your family healthy.
Carpets
Vacuum carpets, floors and upholstery three times a week
using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. Get your carpets deep down clean with professional steam cleaning every six months. This method isn’t just the cleaning method that carpet manufacturers recommend – it’s also one that can help kill bacteria and remove allergens.
Cleaning Products
Many household cleaners, bug killers, pet treatments, and air fresheners can irritate kids’ lungs, especially if your kids have asthma. Explore greener, less toxic alternatives when possible. Vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide are great natural alternatives, and there are also many safer, healthier cleaning options available at many stores.
Go Green the Natural Way
Houseplants aren’t just decorative – they also act as 
antipollutants, purifying the air in our homes, according to a NASA study. Some indoor plants are more effective than others; the recommended list includes the spider plant, English ivy, and gerber daisy. Plants also reduce airborne microbes and increase humidity. So brighten up your home while knowing you are also helping to filter out pollutants, even volatile organic compounds.
Mattress Cleaning
We spend about one third of our lives in bed, so it’s especially 
important to keep our mattresses healthy and hygienic. Did you know that dust mites, dead skin, pollen spores, bacteria and fungi are commonly found in mattresses? Call a reputable company like Steamatic to extract these pollutants with a state of the art super heated hot water extraction system, and sleep easier! Hot water extraction equipment can even eradicate a bed bug infestation.
Air Quality
I
ndoor air quality has a huge impact on your health and overall comfort. Bacteria, mold, and dust linger in the air ducts and then are blown back into the home, contaminating the air you breathe. Have your heating and air conditioning system inspected and serviced twice a year. Use and replace high-efficiency filters monthly. Air duct cleaning is also an important part of removing contaminants and allergens.