If the previous article posted about the potential health issues due to the presence of Mold in our homes shocked you as much as it did me, then you may be wanting to do some sort of a test to find out if your home has any significant mold or mildew present. Preventative maintenance is always the best practice.
A very cheap and effective way to test for molds, mildews and even bacteria is to use a Petri dish. A Petri dish is what the medical profession uses to grow cultures for testing. To perform a test, just follow these steps.
1. Remove the petri dish from the bag and place on a level
surface.
2. Pour the entire contents of Easy-gel bottle into the open
Petri dish.
3. Leave the dish open for one (1) hour.
4. After (1) hour place the cover on the dish and seal with
clear tape. ( DO NOT OPEN UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES )
5. Leave dish to incubate at room temperature in a dark area
for one (1) week. (A kitchen cup board )
You may start to see visuals in 72 to 96 hours.
6. Compare the results to the samples below.
7. Dispose of the used Petri dish responsibly.
Red Spots indicate bacteria.
White or grey, fuzz areas indicate mold frowth which could lead to allergic reactions.
For pictures go to; http://tinyurl.com/ydf7u2e
The Real Solution: for natural allergy relief
- • Active-Pure Technologies for Indoor Environmental
conditioning has the ability to sanitize safely & affordably the
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If you cannot get hold of a Petri dish and the easy-gel bottle, just give me a call or email me and I will send you a dish with the instructions so you can perform a test.
Paul Mattison
EcoQuest Intl.
http://www.tryfreshair.com/pj6
507-752-6102
Having good quality air to breath can be very helpful for those who suffer from asthma or allergies.
· It is estimated that 10.5 million Americans had an asthma attack in 1999. More than a third of them (at least 3.5 million) were children under the age of 18.
· Asthma, which can be triggered by either indoor or outdoor air pollution, annually accounts for an estimated three million lost workdays for adults and 10.1 million lost school days in children. Asthma costs our nation $12.7 billion in health care costs annually.
· Air pollution contributes to lung disease, which claims close to 341,500 lives in America every year and is the third-leading cause of death in the United States (Source: American Lung Association, Trends in Asthma Morbidity and Mortality, 2002)
This information shows us that air pollution affects a lot of people. How many more people suffer from allergies that poor air quality has a big affect on. We have previously addressed some of the problems with indoor air quality, but how about the air we are breathing while driving our cars and trucks.
It has been stated that the air inside of our homes is often several times worse than the air outside, although there is still areas outdoors that have a lot of harmful pollution. Industry puts a lot of pollutants into the air as well as the exhaust from all of the traffic. Rural areas may have pesticide pollution that is very harmful for us to breath. Molds and mildews are also present in the wetter climates. These all have an affect on our health.
For the last year and a half, we have used a Car air purifier in our family minivan. It is a portable device that plugs into the cigarette lighter. We have noticed that the air in the car is fresher. My wife and children who have allergy issues have noticed a considerable difference and have had much less discomfort especially in times of heavy pollen.
If we end up staying in a hotel somewhere, we take the car air purifier into the hotel room with us and use the cord the plugs into the electrical outlet and presto, we have cleaner air to breath while we are in the hotel room. Those who have asthma or allergy issues really seem to notice a substantial improvement with the air quality.
Having good quality air to breath can be very helpful for those who suffer from asthma or allergies as well as being good preventative maintenance to our lungs – even in our cars and trucks.
- Indoor air quality can be worse than that of outdoor air.
- Problems can arise from moisture, Insects, pets, appliances, radon, materials used in household products and furnishings, smoke, and other sources.
- Effects range from minor annoyances to major health risks.
- Remedies include ventilation, cleaning, moisture control, inspections, and following manufacturers’ directions when using appliances and products.
:
- Signs of indoor air quality problems include
- Unusual and noticeable odors
- Stale or stuffy air.
- Excessive humidity.
- Presence of molds and mildew.
- Health reaction after remodeling, weatherizing, using new furniture, using household and hobby products, or moving into a new home.
- Feeling noticeably healthier outside.
I heard it said once that the air inside many homes is worse that the outside air in Los Angeles, CA. That is a statement that is hard to beleive but there are studies that go on to proove it! www.tryfreshair.com/pj6
Out side our homes there are natural ways that the air is being cleansed all the time. Have you ever noticed after a rainstorm that the air smells so fresh? That’s because the air was just cleansed by the rain falling . The air inside our homes needs to be cleansed too, but much of the time the indoor air is sealed off from the outside air. So what can we do about this dilema? When it is hot outside, we don’t want to open the windows and let the heat in but instead we keep everything closed up and run the air conditioner. Most of us do that!
In the winter time up in the (North) we also keep the house closed up to keep it warm. These two scenarios lead to having stale and poluted air in homes that may be unhealthy. So again what can we do about it?
Good cleaning habits is the most important both our living spaces and personal hygeine. Secondly, we can invest in modern technology that cleans the air on the inside of our home so that it compares to the air just after a rainstorm. I call this the air healthmate. There are many different types and sizes for all of the different appoications to choose from. Now is the time to research the different options – before you develope some kind of health reaction.
Once again, indoor air quality can be worse than that of outdoor air!