Dust bunnies and visible soil can be upsetting and certainly a sign of poor cleaning, but it is the soil you can’t see that can do you the most harm. We all realize that we can’t see germs, but these are not the only harmful agents we can’t see. We can only see things that are fifty microns (a millionth of a meter) or larger. Most of the allergens that drive us crazy, pet dander, dust mites, and their feces mold spores, etc are smaller than that. So even a home that looks clean can have millions of allergens floating around in the air.
When you add in residues from cooking, smoking, candles and the fumes of household chemicals you can get some pretty polluted indoor air. Ironically some if the worst chemical offenders are the perfumes in some “air fresheners”. These particles can stay airborne for long periods. Those that have settled can come swirling back up every time someone walks across a hard floor.
Some particles present an additional problem. Things like mold spores, pet dander, and some pollen, insect feces, along with silica, coal, and asbestos dust are under 10 microns in size. These are called respirable particles because they can pass the body’s defenses and lodge in the tiny sacs of the lungs. Some exposure to these particles is inevitable but prolonged exposure to heavy concentrations can cause serious illness.
The question is: how to protect yourself and your family? We’ll be discussing this in the next few blogs: talking air filtration in your home and how to clean out the filters. We’ll also talk about vacuum cleaners as your first line of defense.