Fall Allergies – Can Your Home Be Making You Sick?

As the weather starts to turn colder and the leaves begin to fall, we start closing up our homes to keep the cold out and the heat in.  Many people start to notice allergies flaring up in the fall due to various allergens in the air such as ragweed and mold spores.  Often what feels like a “change of season” cold is actually allergies that present themselves with the same symptoms as the common cold.  These symptoms include but are not limited to cough, itchy eyes, sore throat, sneezing and just overall yuckiness.  

 In addition to the outside causes of allergies, there are inside culprits as well.  The American Academy of Allergy and Immunology (AAAA&I) talks about these inside allergens in an article on their website www.aaaai.org.  Some of these are dust mite droppings, animal dander, mold and cockroach droppings:
Dust mites can be found in bedding, carpeting and upholstery.  Keep these areas vacuumed and cleaned regularly.  Bedding should be washed and dried often and if possible, replace wall to wall carpeting with hard flooring and use rugs that can be washed or cleaned often.

Contrary to popular belief, most people are not allergic to animal hair.  It is more often the “dander” or dried skin flakes, saliva and pet urine that cause the trouble.  Even the breeds that are thought to be “hypo-allergenic” can still create a problem for allergy sufferers.  As in the case of dust mites, it is essential for your home to be vacuumed, cleaned and sanitized often to minimize the symptoms of these allergies.

Mold is one of the most common issues when it comes to allergies within your home.  We close up the windows to keep things nice and warm and the mold just thrives in a warm moist environment.  Some areas that may be harboring the mold spores are inside bath toys, in washing machine seals, showers and shower door railings, drain pans under the fridge, fridge seals, sponge holders in the sink and so many more places that you may not even think about.  These areas should be inspected and cleaned regularly.

Though cockroaches are associated with big cities and dirty areas, they can actually be found anywhere. Make sure floors are cleaned and pet food is not left out.  Seal up any cracks and crevices where they may be able to enter. Clean under stoves, refrigerators, toasters, microwaves and toaster ovens where crumbs can accumulate.  Clean stove tops, counters, kitchen surfaces and cabinets regularly.

We look forward to the cozy holiday season and enjoy the warm comfort of our homes.  It is imperative to our health to make sure that the areas we spend our time in are clean and free of these allergy culprits so that we can enjoy the upcoming season.

Housecleaning 101

When I visit a home to find out how we can help someone with their cleaning needs, I will usually ask “how can we help you?”.  I may need to change my approach because often the response is “Well….I want my house cleaned”.  As simple and obvious as it may sound, there are actually a lot of variations of types of cleanings, types of houses, types of people and their specific needs.  For example, a single gentleman living alone, no pets, may want the very basics and with little frequency.  “Just do my floors and clean the bathrooms”.  My next visit may be someone who wants a very detailed cleaning, more often and with lots of instructions. Some may not even know what they are looking for, but just know they need HELP.  

We have to take into consideration that some people may LIKE or WANT to do certain things, like dusting their prize collection of knick knacks, figurines, glass vases or statues.  It’s important that a cleaning crew knows the specific needs and wants of each individual person we serve.  Specific instruction as to how they want a surface or room cleaned is valuable. The customer should feel confident that there will not be damage and that the surface, such as a high quality wood floor or a special type of kitchen counter is being properly cleaned and treated with care. This is their home, it’s personal.  Very few services out there are as personal as someone coming into your home, on a regular basis, being around your children, pets and touching your stuff.

Giving up a job such as house cleaning is sometimes difficult to someone who has taken pride for many years in the work they have done themselves to make their house a home.  It’s uncomfortable to admit to someone or themselves that they need a little help, unlike all the years before. With that in mind, a cleaning crew needs to be aware and place importance on the requests and desires of the customer.
So, what are the basics?  A good cleaning of the bathrooms including toilets, counters, sinks, showers, tubs, glass doors, mirrors, light fixtures and floors. In the kitchen, all the outside surfaces, counters, sinks, outside of appliances, stove top, and inside the microwave. In the living areas and bedrooms of the house, dusting of the furniture and cleaning the floors.

How about the deeper stuff? Along with all of the above, someone may want all the fans cleaned, the baseboards scrubbed, the light fixtures cleaned and shined, the cabinets oiled, the blinds cleaned, the inside of the oven and the refrigerator cleaned, the pot shelves dusted.  How about the tops of those kitchen cabinets!

Regardless of the depth and instruction of the particular job, the company that does that job needs to understand the customer, understand the instructions, genuinely care about the home they are going in to and take pride in the work they do. 

 
Wishing everyone a wonderful Summer!