Make Your Home Safe from Allergens and Mold with These Tips

Sometimes we don’t realize that the biggest cause of our allergies and illnesses can be our home. Our home is where we feel safe, so it’s natural to overlook its potential to cause allergies, asthma irritation, and other respiratory illnesses. No matter the age of your house, it’s a good idea to give your house a once over to ensure you aren’t dealing with any kind of mold or excess allergens that could be making your family ill.

 

 

Deal with Dust Mites

You might think that just because your surfaces are dust free that you’ve eliminated a majority of household allergens, but think again. Dust mites are a common trigger for allergies and asthma and are found in bedding and rugs. If you have a family member with asthma, ensure that bedding, curtains, and carpets are cleaned regularly. Using special covers for your mattresses and box springs will help curb the dust mite population, too.

Preventing Mold

Once mold has established itself, it’s hard to get rid of without tearing out and replacing everything it has invaded. Instead, it’s best to prevent mold before it happens. Mold requires moisture to grow, so eliminating and/or reducing the moisture in your house is key, especially if you live in a hot climate or an already humid region. You probably know to do things like fix leaks, use dehumidifiers, and wipe down wet areas, but there are a few other things you can do to stop moisture. Keep the house warm in cool weather, as cooler air allows moisture to condense on surfaces. You should also have an HVAC technician out twice a year to ensure all of your heating and cooling systems’ parts are operating to properly remove moisture from the air.

Control Pet Dander

Your furry family members can be a major source of allergens. Keep pets out of sleeping areas, and if you have a particularly sensitive family member, clean upholstered furniture and heavily used carpets once or twice a week. Experts recommend using vacuums with HEPA filters or double bags to get the most dander and dust out of carpets and upholstery.

Let the Professionals Deal with Mold

While you can certainly handle the preventative measures in your home, if you do find your house has a mold problem, it’s best to let the professionals from companies like Bios Environments in Augusta, ME, clean it up. Most household cleaners will wipe away mold, but they won’t kill mold spores. This means you’re not stopping or preventing it from spreading. To keep it from coming back, professionals have the equipment to properly rid your house of mold.

With regular home maintenance and cleaning, you can be successful in eliminating and controlling common household allergens and molds. Follow your doctor’s recommendations for controlling the safety of your home if you have family members with asthma or more severe allergies.

Categories: allergens, Dust Mites, family health, mold, Pet Dander

How to Rid Your Home of Mothballs and Protect Your Health

In 2008, the European Union banned the sale of mothballs due to the fact that they contain a volatile chemical, naphthalene, which gives them their recognisable smell. In the U.S and other parts of the world, the compound is still widely used in mothballs. It’s even classified as a possible human carcinogen. A new group of Australian and New Zealand has found that naphthalene should be banned because of the damage it can cause to babies’ health, namely brain damage. Previous studies have found classic mothball chemicals could be very harmful to the health of adults, children and pets because of the exposure to gas vapours. The immediate risk to some peoples’ health is even greater, with nontoxic alternatives becoming more popular. Australian researchers believe that around five per cent of people of Asian, African, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean descent have a glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, and babies with this condition who are exposed to mothballs could suffer from profound brain damage. It could even be fatal.

Nobody wants to find that their stored winter clothing has been chewed through by moth larvae, but opting to use mothballs isn’t the safe alternative to a damaged wardrobe. While the mothball chemical association with brain damage in children is alarming, the volatile nature of common mothball chemicals means that it’s in everyone’s interest to avoid using them. When you smell mothballs, you are immediately inhaling the insecticide. These balls are only meant to be used in an airtight area, in order to limit the exposure animals and people suffer. But most people don’t use the product correctly, so they pose a health risk. There are ways to avoid damage to your clothes without putting you and your family at risk of toxic chemical inhalation.

To begin with, clean clothes correctly. Clothing moths are more likely to feast on clothing made of animal fibres, such as wool, as well as on hair, dust and stains in unwashed clothes. Because of this, washing your clothes correctly before you store them will help to save their quality. Vacuuming regularly will cut down on the risk of moths and other pests thriving in your home, so pay particular attention to skirting boards and air ducts. Plant-based moth deterrents are far safer for your health than mothballs, so opt for lavender and sandalwood to keep the bugs away. Fill a cotton tea bag or an old handkerchief with cloves, tansy or sweet woodruff, as this is also popular for preventing moths. Some people put mothballs in the garden to prevent insects, snakes and other animals. However, it can also contaminate the soil and water, possible even poisoning beneficial insects. You should also know how to deal with a moth infestation in your home, should you be unlucky enough to develop one. Clothing moths feed on lint, pet hair and human hair, so remove this from your clothing to limit the spread of larvae feeding on it. You can also freeze infested clothing, although this may not be practical for anyone. Generally, keeping your home vacuumed and clean will help to avoid moths from laying larvae in wardrobes and clothing. You may wish to take your clothes out of storage every few weeks and give them a shake to air them and disrupt moths from laying eggs there. When you do this, vacuum and dust the storage area to remove any dust or hair from the space.

Categories: Clothes, clothes correctly, clothing, clothing moths, family health, health, Home, mothball chemicals, mothballs, Moths

Are Thread-Worms Something to be Concerned About?

Surprisingly, thread-worms are quite common, although very rarely serious. These worms infect the intestines and lay eggs around the anus which leads to it itching. The treatment for thread-worms usually involves medication and hygiene measures, but the medication only kills the worms not the eggs. The eggs themselves can actually last for around two weeks, which means that the hygiene measures are important to ensure that you don’t swallow any more eggs which can lead to a new infection. Even if members of your household don’t have symptoms, everyone needs to be treated if someone in the house has thread-worms. The worms are small, white and (as the name suggests) thread-like – they grow to be between 2mm and 13mm long. Although they are common in children, anyone can become infected with them.

 

Thread-worms can survive for around five to six weeks before they die, before which the females lay eggs around the anus. This usually occurs at night when you’re warm. The eggs are microscopic but lead to itching – while you’re sleeping, you scratch the area which leads to the eggs getting stuck under your fingernails. You may then swallow them if you put your finger in your mouth without realising, which spreads the infection. What many people don’t realise is that the eggs can survive outside of the body for around two weeks. This means that they can fall onto your bedding or get wafted into the air as you change clothes or make your bed, before becoming part of the dust in your home. They may settle on your toothbrush or on food, which is yet another route to you swallowing them. It is for this reason that hygiene is paramount when someone in your home has thread-worms.

 

If your child is itching in this area, this may be a sign of thread-worms. Although you may be able to see one or two coming out of the anus, it’s best to take them to a GP to be sure – they will advise on the best course of treatment. Your GP may do a sticky tape test, which confirms the presence of thread-worms. This involves putting a section of clear tape onto the skin around the anus first thing in the morning, before wiping or bathing, which can then be tested for eggs which will have stuck to the tape. If they are present, all members of the household will need to be treated. This is because the eggs are easily spread and may have infected other people without them realising. The most common form of treatment is a course of medicine to kill the worms in your gut, and then hygiene measures to remove any eggs from the home or your body. Your pharmacist will stock the medication required to clear the internal infection. The cleaning process involves washing all sleepwear, bedding and towels, as well as any cuddly toys your child may sleep with. You don’t need to do this on a hot wash, just as long as they are thoroughly cleaned. You should also vacuum and damp-dust your home, throwing the cloth away after use. Bedrooms should be especially taken care of, as this is where the eggs are most likely to have spread. It’s also advised that you change and wash your nightwear each night to avoid spreading the eggs further if any has stayed on your bedding, as well as showing or bathing every morning to rinse off any eggs from the body. Naturally, washing your hands before preparing food, as always, is advised to make sure that no eggs are under your fingernails before you eat.

Categories: anus, Child Wellness, Eggs, family health, Home, hygiene measures, lay eggs, thread, thread worms, threadworms, worms