What’s In Your Dust Part 1
The old-fashioned image of a happy housewife with a feather duster seems oddly quaint. Today, dust control and removal is serious business. It is estimated that Americans spend over $10 billion a year on products to remove and control household dust. Add to that the vacuum cleaners, air filtration devices and furnace filters, and it is easy to see that dust is big business. But have you ever wondered what is in household dust? Is it just a nuisance or are there health concerns?
Household dust contains all sorts of things from the outside atmosphere such as dust from volcanic eruptions, ash from forest fires, disintegrating meteors, silica, mica, clay and other minerals from wind erosion.
Other constituents of dust come from inside the house; human and animal hairs, paper fiber, dead skin, deteriorating paint particles, ash and soot from fire places, candles, stoves and furnaces; sugars, starches, salt, crumbs and other food particles.
Some particles are of concern to humans, especially allergy sufferers; pollen, air pollution, pet dander, mold spores, dead insects, dust mites and their waste. There is growing concern about residues from pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers used both inside and outside our homes. Even roadway dust from automobile tires, brake linings and exhaust becomes household dust, and may contain carcinogens.
There’s also dust from construction, demolition, burning and deterioration of buildings. The list goes on and on. In fact, you might just say that almost everything you look at is turning to dust.
Let’s face it, there is no way to make your home completely dust-free. But you should prevent the buildup of dust to make your home a healthier place to live. Dust control doesn’t have to be difficult. It’s really just a matter of changing the way you do a few things.
Stay tuned for Part 2 Changing a Few Things