How Dust in Your Home Affects Your Health
What Is Dust?
The accumulation of dust in your home is unavoidable because most of it comes from you! Household dust is mostly dead skin cells. It’s also made of your pet’s dead skin cells (pet dander), hair, fibers of carpet and clothing, paper, old food, minerals from actual dirt, and dead bugs. These things and more are in tiny quantities, suspended in the air, slowly falling onto our lamps, shelves, and blinds. The superfine mixture that accumulates is what we call “dust.”
Is Dust Dangerous?
Environmental scientists admit that there is much unknown about dust and its effects on our health. In a 2019 study called the 360 Dust Analysis Project, participants were asked to seal up the contents of their full vacuum cleaners and send it to a lab to be tested. From studies like this one, we do know that some of what makes up household dust comes from flame retardant chemicals used to treat our furniture and clothes. Scientists have found this chemical present in the bloodstream of newborns. Ongoing research is helping to gain an understanding of the full scope of the effects of dust on our health.
What we can be sure of is that the presence of dust causes some of us to sneeze, cough, and have itchy noses and watering eyes. This actually isn’t the fault of the fine material itself, but small bugs called dust mites that are alive and feeding off the dead skin cells present in dust. Since household “dust” and “dust mites” almost never come separately, the terms are often used interchangeably. These insects are in the tick and spider family, and they are so tiny that they cannot be seen by the human eye – however, they are most likely present in the room you’re sitting in now. Long-term exposure to dust allergens can cause sinus infections and asthma. Those prone to repeated sinus infections should consider the possibility of a dust allergy.
What Can You Do?
The majority of Americans spend 90 percent of their time indoors. It’s more important to our bodies than we may realize to mitigate dust and dust mite exposure. For a way to dust hard-to-reach surfaces, try the Simple Scrub. Its ergonomic design and variety of changeable pads allow you to remove dust from cabinets, moldings, and blinds. Simple Scrub is also great for your floors, shower, and bathtub.
Don’t let the dust in your home put your health in jeopardy. Visit our product page today to browse devices that can make your home safer and cleaner.
A Better Cleaning Tool Today
The Simple Scrub has a lightweight and ergonomic design, and can handle a variety of surfaces, and easily cleans corners and tough-to-reach spaces. This cleaning tool is made out of strong aluminum and won’t bend or break, and the powder coat ensures that even in the most humid conditions The Simple Scrub won’t rust. The cloth pads included are extra-absorbent and easily exchanged, eliminating filthy mop heads.
Additionally, The Simple Scrub is designed to make sure you stay far away from the chemicals you are cleaning with. This helps your health and makes sure you don’t spend your time breathing in chemical fumes. No more kneeling or scrubbing with a washcloth – The Simple Scrub will keep you and your home clean and sanitary. Find out more about our line of products here.