Spring Cleaning For a Healthy Home

Spring is here. As the sun shines brighter and for longer, it illuminates even the most minor details; the new blooms, emerging pollinators – and the dust bunnies on windowsills hiding in the shadows. With the advent of modern cleaning supplies, replete with artificial scents and unpronounceable chemical compounds, we’ve been told to wipe it off and move on.

19th-century Bavarian hygienist and apostle of clean air Max Joseph von Pettenkofer once pondered, “if there is a pile of manure in a space, do not try to remove the odor by ventilation. Remove the pile of manure.”

While von Pettenkofer’s spring cleaning was likely more focused on the opening of windows than the maintenance of HVAC systems, the adage holds true. As a strong proponent of public health, he knew we must focus on identifying and removing bad actors in our homes rather than just covering up their results. Our air quality, and therefore health, depend on it.

Cleaner air in your home means addressing the army of invisible assailants that thrive indoors under the right conditions. Our homes are like lungs – breathing in outside air contaminants through cracks in building envelopes, under doors and through open windows, and expelling chemical compounds and particles from the things we bring inside them such as pets, plants, paint and furniture.

Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) has been tied to symptoms like headaches, fatigue, brain fog and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that poor IAQ has been correlated to asthma, stroke, ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer.

While outside air conditions hardly seem within our daily control, indoor air quality and microscopic mold outbreaks, triggered by the moisture of winter, can and should be addressed through regular inspection and maintenance in the spring.

Time for a change

Filtration on home ventilation systems helps remove or dilute indoor airborne pollutants coming from outdoor sources. This reduces the level of contaminants and improves overall indoor air quality (IAQ). In a residential setting, the HEPA filter on your air purifier may last two or three years before it needs to be changed. Changing air filters on a regular basis will ensure they’re able to do their job.

Service, please

We look to our vacuums as the ultimate ‘out of sight, out of mind’ tool throughout the seasons but when was the last time you cleaned yours? Commercial vacuums with HEPA filters capture 99.97 percent of particles from the air, such as dust, animal dander, smoke, mold and other allergens down to 0.3 microns. However, if the filter is not changed regularly you risk the potential of your vacuum spewing mold spores, dust and microbes back into the air.

In a residential setting, the HEPA filter of your vacuum should be changed periodically to allow its full potential. Your vacuum should also be cleaned and the canister emptied and wiped down after every use.

A visit to the archives

Paper, made of wood pulp, is an organic feast for mold spores. If your home experiences high humidity, then paper files and documents could be at risk of a mold-feeding frenzy. Once documents have been contaminated with mold, it can be difficult or impossible to stop the spread or incubation of mold spores. Spring is the perfect time to check in on your archives and consider running a dehumidifier in your home office or attic during the muggiest months of the year.

Let it flow

Probably one of the most important and often overlooked areas for spring cleaning goes unnoticed – air ducts and vents. Allergens and microparticles collect in our air ducts, allowing pulmonary pollutants like mold, mildew, fungal spores and bacteria to circulate unchecked. Having air ducts and vents regularly inspected and cleaned is one of the most effective and holistic items to tackle on your spring cleaning list. Professional duct cleaning is recommended every 3 to 5 years and regular at-home maintenance can be done by using the hose extension of your vacuuming on a weekly basis.

Curtain call

Curtains will collect dirt, dust and pollen, just like any other surface in the home. While you should give them a deep clean about twice a year, you may need to clean them more often if your home is prone to dust or odors. Spring is the perfect time to remove and renew your window treatments. Remove them carefully so as not to release contaminants in the air and take them outside for a soft brushing which will release dust and potential allergens. A short bath in sunlight will help air them out. Another option is to give them a soft brush and steam them for a deeper clean.

Photographer: Okkijan/Adobe, Dunelm, Husk Brooms, Marti Sans/Adobe, Malissa Mabey, W Design Collective