Why do I need to be concerned about Indoor Air Pollution?

Government agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. House of Representatives are calling indoor air pollution our #1 environmental problem.

We spend about 90% of our time indoors and for the first time in history it may be safer to be out in the wilderness than in our own homes.

As you know, dust and dirt enter homes and are trapped in the carpets, furniture, walls and ceilings!  Doctors advise that dust is the last medium of human infection.  Germs have no means of getting around except by attaching themselves to particles of dust.

Also, smoke, mildew, and mold are pollutants that you can see and smell.  Other pollutants like gases, certain chemicals, bacteria and pollen are harder to detect but they are definitely there.

The average home collects 40 pounds of dust a year 

This dust serves as a feeding and breeding ground to 15 species of dust mites.  These almost invisible critters crawl around in beds, pillows, stuffed furniture, carpets, etc. and live for about 45 days.  Allergies affect nearly 20% of the U.S. population.  Unlike pollen-induced allergies, which are seasonal, dust allergies are present year-round.  Today’s home with airtight windows, central heating, wall-to-wall carpeting and textile furnishings, combined with inadequate ventilation, provides an ideal environment for house dust mites.  It is their waste material which aggravates our allergies.

90% of colds are caught from indoor air

 Homes and offices are sealed up tight and very little fresh air circulates through the home.  The newer the home the tighter it’s sealed up.  As people clean, they get rid of some of the pollutants but over time they keep accumulating.

We are being advised that only 10% of colds are caught outdoors, the other 90% being indoors!

This is why you should be regularly cleaning all of your home furnishings.  I also strongly recommend that you use a vacuum system equipped with HEPA filters, which are able to trap dust mites.  Regular cleaning also keeps your home furnishings looking as good as possible.  You may also want to consider having your air ducts in your conditioning system professionally cleaned as well.