Air Quality Irritants

Pets- Sure you love them, but not the hair or dander they bring into your home.  Even the pets of a home’s previous occupants can leave an uncomfortably sneezy, itchy, legacy.  Regular grooming and washing can help, but once the particles are in the air, they can cause an allergic reaction. Dander from pets can float in the air and cause reactions in sensitive family members. Keep pets off the furniture, out of the bedroom, and if necessary, consider taking the pet out of the home.

Pollen- It’s outside.  It’s inside.  You even carry it on your clothes.  It can make you miserable.  Close doors and windows — Keep windows and doors shut to keep outdoor pollens, molds and irritants outside

Dust- It’s everywhere.  As long as people have lived indoors, they’ve tried to remove it.  No matter how clean your home, you always have it.  In fact, the average home generates 40 pounds of dust for every 1,500 square feet each year!  Dust mites can lurk in bedding, upholstery and almost any other soft material, generating irritating waste particles that can become airborne.  Control dust mites — Use anti-dust mite covers and wash sheets in hot water at least once a week; 130 degrees is recommended.

Smoke- When that cigarette is put out, the smoke doesn’t just go away.  It lingers.  Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 compounds that coat your home’s interior with a harmful residue that can seriously aggravate allergies and conditions like asthma.

Humid & Dry Air- It doesn’t need to be hot for humid air to make your family uncomfortable.  Air that is too moist for too long can allow potentially harmful bacteria, mildew, and other organic irritants to grow.  Air that is too dry for too long can be as uncomfortable as humid air, only for different reasons.  Not only can it be hard on your family’s skin, but dry air- because it lacks heavy moisture droplets- allows dust and other particulate matter to circulate more easily through your home.