Safely Protecting Your Children From Bacteria, Mold And Allergens

Studies show that the list of potential diseases that could be awaiting you in your home is frightening - salmonella, mold, pet dander, dust mites, fleas, skin irritants and rashes.

The American Lung Association On Carpets

The American Lung Association notes that carpets can be a germ collector, and recommends that if at all possible, people minimize the use of rugs. They recommend vacuuming with a modern vacuum that includes a HEPA filter, at least three times a week, and deep cleaning via the use of a steam cleansing machine at least annually.

The American College Of Allergy, Asthma, And Immunology On Dust Mites

Meanwhile, the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology at Dust Allergy warns that sneezing, runny noses, itchy eyes and wheezing and coughing are often due to dust mite allergies, particularly for children. They too, recommend limiting the use of carpeting, or at least to keep pets out of the bedroom.

Prevention Magazine On Itching

Finally, Prevention Magazine at: The Weird Way Your House Is Making You Itch recommends you deep clean your house if you have a lot of rashes and itching, and in particular, that you invest in a thorough carpet cleaning.

Ways Steam Cleansing Can Sanitize Your Home

A steam cleanser can be used to sanitize nearly every element of your home. The reason is that the heat from the steam kills over 99.9 percent of germs including salmonella and E-coli. Because steam cleaning is such an effective killer of germs, it is used by many hospitals to sanitize their facilities.

Besides carpets, steam cleansers can be used to:

* Disinfect bathrooms

* Used on mattresses

* Used around pet areas and pet beds

* Used on sofas and chairs

* Used around baby areas

* Used to disinfect toys

* Used on curtains

And the best thing is that with steam, it's completely eco-friendly. No harmful chemicals are involved. As an added benefit, not only will steam get into cracks and crevices that are hard to reach by hand but steam also easily dissolves wax, chewing gum, glue, and other ground-in material.

Other Ways To Clean And Disinfect Your Home

You can of course buy store-bought products to disinfect your home, but there are two tried and true products you can use to disinfect your home. A  word of caution, never mix any of these together, but rather dilute them with water.

The two products are:

• Bleach
  
  Mix a solution of one cup of bleach to a gallon of hot water. Bleach is a natural disinfectant and is great around sinks, toilets, shower drains, and cutting boards. And by the way, a study of households found that kitchen sinks were 10 times as laden with germs as other areas of the house including the bathrooms.
  
  Use the bleach solution, together with a clean rag, to wipe down door handles, mop around pet areas, and to clean any high-traffic surfaces.
  
  After wiping an area down, let the area air dry for three to five minutes, before applying a clean towel to the surface to mop up any residue. White vinegar kills bacteria by penetrating the cell barriers with its high acidity level and killing off germs and bacteria. Ordinarily, the white vinegar in the grocery store is around a five percent concentrate, which will kill around 80 percent of household germs, but you can buy higher concentrates of vinegar at specialty stores. To use, pour an equal mix of water and vinegar in a spray bottle. Many people love the cleaning effect of white vinegar but don't like the smell, so add a small amount of pine or other scents into the mixture.

You can't avoid all germs and bacteria in your home, but you can minimize them with steam, bleach and white vinegar.

Subscribe to our Trusted Health Club newsletter for more information about natural living tips, natural health, oral health and skincare. If you are looking for more health resources make sure to check out the Trusted Health Resources list.  

Written By:

Paisley Hansen is a freelance writer and expert in health, fitness, and growing young. When she isn’t writing she can usually be found reading a good book or hitting the gym. She loves hearing from readers so feel free to contact her through Facebook.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.