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Archive for September, 2011

Leading allergists agree that wood floors are the perfect choice for a healthy home. According to the American Lung Association wood floors in your bedroom and other main living areas can drastically improve air quality. This is not surprising when a large American company that recycles old carpet has stated that most used carpeting it receives for processing contains at least 35% of its weight in household dirt.

A report by the Healthy Flooring Network draw’s information from several reports and experiments carried out by leading health groups worldwide. It draws broad conclusions on the role fitted carpets play in determining the total allergen load in the home and the importance of this on the severity of allergic disease.

Detailed studies in the UK have found that 50-70% of asthma suffers are allergic to house dust mites. With up to 100,000 dust mites living in just one square metre of carpet and it being reported that 98% of UK homes have fitted carpets it is clear to understand why the UK has the highest prevalence of asthma symptoms in 13-14 year olds in the world at 19.8%, along with the second highest prevalence of eczema.

Carpets that are treated have themselves come in for huge criticisms. When tested 3 out of 4 carpets that were listed as being treated against dust mites contain chemicals of a hazardous nature. Theses chemicals included organotins, phthalates, permethrin, triclosan, brominated flame retardants and formaldehyde. The World Health Organisation has recommended that they are substituted with less hazardous alternatives.

One study showed that the mite allergen concentration in dust from carpets could be 6-14 times higher than that from wood & laminate flooring.

Exposure to the mites in the first, crucial year of life can trigger a lifelong allergy. There is no cure, only prevention – controlling house dust mite populations – focusing on dust control, to reduce the concentration of dust-borne allergens in the living environment by controlling both allergen production and the dust which transports it.

House dust mites are not just restricted to carpets there are nearly universal in occurrence, a typical bed mattress may have contain anything from 100,000 to 10 million mites. Ten percent of the weight of a two year old pillow may be composed of dead mites and their droppings

Pet Allergens

Pets are the second most important cause of domestic allergy and over 50% of asthmatic children are sensitised to allergens of cats and/or dogs. Once again the presence of fitted carpets is particularly strongly associated with high pet allergen levels. Even when a pet is removed from a house the allergen levels can remain significantly high.

Points to Note
•    Carpets can contain the largest reservoir in total amount of mite allergens in the house
•    The presence of carpets in a home can dramatically increase the total mite allergen load compared to having laminate or wood flooring.
•    Up to 100,000 mites may live in one square metre of carpet.
•    Carpets can harbour 6-14 times more dust mite allergens than laminate or wood flooring.
•    The presence of fitted carpets is particularly strongly associated with high pet allergen levels.

How can we help reduce the number of dust mites?
•    Replace feather and down pillows with synthetic fillings.
•    Enclose the mattress top and sides with a plastic cover, thoroughly vacuuming mattress pillows and the base of the bed. Dampen and wipe the plastic mattress cover daily.
•    Change and wash pillowcases, sheets, and under blankets, and vacuum the bed base and around the covered mattress weekly.
•    Use nylon blankets rather than woollen or cotton ones.
•    Frequently wash all bedding (blankets, mattress pads and comforters) in hot water (60oC weekly). Also wash curtains.
•    Frequent vacuuming as a dust control measure is more likely to aggravate allergic asthmatic conditions because conventional vacuums are inefficient – dust collection by conventional vacuums results in a significant increase in air borne dust concentrations. Vacuuming is best accomplished by cleaners that trap dust in a liquid medium such as water rather than a dust bag.
•    Replace carpets with wood, tile, linoleum or vinyl floor coverings. (If you have carpets, vacuum every day.)

1. The easiest way to jazz up your outdoor deck or patio is by using splashes of color. Sometimes it only means investing in a few accent pieces that make a bold statement and your outdoor living space perks right up. You don’t always have to buy new – with a little elbow grease and some creativity you can make second hand items look brand new. Here are some ideas to help get you started.

2. Before you begin, clear everything off of your deck or patio and give it a good pressure wash. If it needs staining, all the new furniture in the world won’t help – bite the bullet and give it a new coat of stain or paint. This is actually a great place to get started with colorful accents. Try painting your fence posts a bright, coordinating color such as teal. Or paint a pattern or border around the edge of your deck.

3. Decks are for socializing, so show that you are ready for company. The addition of metal furniture is inexpensive and comes in lots of great colors. Place a colorful bar cart in the corner and load it up with bright acrylic glassware.

4. Give your old wicker furniture a facelift by painting it in bright sunny colors, or if you’re feeling adventuress, use a stencil and add flowers or other patterns. Just use acrylic paint, but seal it with varnish to protect your paint job.

5. Get a hold of a galvanized bucket or oblong container, paint it bright blue or orange and add a vine pattern on the outside. Voila, now you have a fancy ice-bucket for all your coolers. Remember, unless you’re using a food-safe paint, the surface should not come in direct contact with food.

6. Use themes such as the seashore, by incorporating fishies, sea shells and beach balls in your accents or stencils. A citrus theme works well by using pale greens, oranges and yellow as colors for chairs or bistro tables. Try painting a slatted table top with two or three different corresponding shades.

7. Who says garden sheds have to be brown and boring. Add colorful window boxes, gingerbread trim and some wild stripes on the walls.

8. Funky lighting goes a long way to perking up a patio area. Colorful lanterns or strings of lights can be hung from overhanging trees or beams providing a fun, economical source of lighting.

9. What to do with the white vinyl furniture that’s still in great shape, but you hate to get rid of? Not to worry. With paint specially formulated for vinyl furniture, and some new cushions, you can make your old chairs look brand new.

10. Use color wisely by tying everything together with your accessories. Take four chairs each painted in a different primary color and add a cushion in a common color such as red or green, and place them around a neutral table top.

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