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Cleaning her home makes Angelyn Rowe feel better.
"No matter how sick I am, I will find a way to get up and clean," said Rowe, 54, a chronic asthma sufferer since childhood. "It does a lot for me."
And it does a lot for her environment, too.
"Cleaning is one of the least expensive ways to control asthma and allergies," said Brian Bonsani, spokesman for the Soap and Detergent Association.
Household chores such as dusting, mopping and vacuuming help improve the air quality in modern homes, which are built to conserve energy but hold air inside longer.
"The effect is that we don't have much air ventilation through the homes, so pollutants such as dust and chemicals can elevate to higher levels because they don't have anywhere to go," said Marilyn Black, chief scientist of Air Quality Sciences, an Atlanta-based indoor air quality research and testing firm. The air inside most homes contains about two to five times more pollutants than outside air, she said. Add new furnishings, paint and carpet, and the level of air pollutants can soar up to 1,000 times higher than outside.
Cleaning helps to remove the pollutants and sanitize and disinfect against germs and bacteria that can spread food-borne illnesses. And you don't have to do it every day to get results.
"The frequency of cleaning is not as important as using the right tools and doing it right," said Black, who recommends high-efficiency vacuums with filters that collect small particles, microfiber cloths that trap dust, and low-chemical, low-odor cleaning products. (Look for products certified by Greenguard Environmental Institute and Green Seal).
"When you smell [the cleaning product], you're smelling the chemicals," she said. "So that nice, fresh smell might not be so good."
But don't stop with what you can see.
Protect your household from odorless, colorless gases such as carbon monoxide and radon, the second leading cause of lung cancer.
Purchasing a detector, which runs about $25, is the "best insurance policy you'll ever buy," said Bob Moffitt, communications director of the American Lung Association's Health House program.
Install one-inch, accordion-style air filters with a 30 percent capture rate, and replace according to manufacturer's recommendations. Although highly efficient, HEPA filters are not recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency for use in the average home unless a medical condition warrants.
"People often move into a new home and think everything is clean, so everything is OK," Moffitt said. But looks can be deceiving.
Here are some things you can do to keep your house clean and safe. Breathe better
Follow these tips to improve the cleanliness and air quality of your home:
> Roof and gutters. Check for leaks and keep gutters clean of leaves and debris to control moisture buildup that can lead to mold.
> Kitchen and bathrooms. Use exhaust fans and make sure they're vented outside.
> Bedrooms. Wash bed linens weekly on the hot cycle. Use pillow and mattress covers.
> Humidifiers/dehumidifier. Control the moisture level in your home. To maintain comfort and prevent mold growth, humidity levels should be less than 60 percent. Clean cool-mist and ultrasonic humidifiers daily. Empty water trays frequently.
> Drapes. Use a duster or multi-surface wipe to clean blinds each week.
> Floors/carpets. Vacuum carpets and dust-mop floors each week to combat dust and other allergens. Install a carpet pad with a low formaldehyde content.
> Insulation/air filters. Furnace filters should be changed according to manufacturer's recommendation.
> Laundry room. Make sure clothes dryer vents to the outside. Once a year, pull the vent tube off the dryer and vacuum out lint using the crevice tool. Clean leaves and lint from the vent flap at the outside of the house.
> Walls. Wash down walls with cleanser to prevent buildup of dust. Check label to make sure product is safe on paint.
> Air ducts. Have ducts professionally cleaned if there is substantial mold growth on hard surface or other components or if ducts are clogged with dust and debris. Attack germs
> Bathrooms. Disinfect and sanitize bathrooms daily. Wipe down countertops and use shower and bath sprays after each use. Every six months, check the medicine cabinet and discard medications that have expired. Prescription and over-the-counter medications lose their potency after the expiration.
> Kitchens. Wipe countertops with disinfecting wipes and cleaners, especially after food preparation, to prevent spread of food-borne bacteria such as salmonella. Clean the refrigerator and discard old food.
> Fixtures. Clean dry surfaces daily. Don't forget bathroom fixtures and doorknobs.
> Use multiple rags. Don't use the same rag to wash dishes and wipe countertops. The same bacteria can be spread around the kitchen as you wipe surfaces.
> Sanitize sponges. Launder sponges, dish cloths and towels using hot water and chlorine bleach. The average kitchen sponge harbors 7.2 million bacteria, so discard sponges and rags every week. Prevent poison
> Don't mix. Products that contain chlorine bleach and ammonia should not be mixed.
> Keep cleaning products in their original containers. Do not pour one product into an empty container.
> Leave big jobs to the pros. Removing mold requires strong pesticides that may not be suitable for home use. Also, duct or chimney cleaning is best left to the experts. Clip 'n' keep! NATURAL CLEANING PRODUCTS
Here are some common items that make good cleaners.
Vinegar. Mix a solution of one part water to one part vinegar in a new spray bottle to clean, disinfectant and deodorize. Don't use on marble surfaces.
Lemon juice. Mix 1 cup olive oil with 1/2 cup lemon juice to polish hardwood furniture. Also, use lemon juice with baking soda to scrub dishes, surfaces and stains.
Baking soda. A natural deodorizer, baking soda can also be used to clean countertops and other hard surfaces.
Source: Housekeeping Guide HOUSE WORK(OUT)
Put on some fast-paced music and burn some calories: Vacuuming a half-hour........100 Washing windows 15 minutes....50 Sweeping 15 minutes ..........50 Mowing the lawn a half-hour..150 Gardening 30-45 minutes......150 Raking leaves a half-hour....150 Source: American Council for Fitness & Nutrition
Copyright 2006 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
