Improve the air quality in your home with an upholstery cleaning
Upholstery cleaning is not something we think about every day, but it can really improve the air quality of your home! Regularly cleaning your home through vacuuming and other standard efforts is a great way to remove superficial dust, dirt and other items from your upholstery. You understandably want your home to look and smell clean, but you also need the air to be clean and fresh. While your regular cleaning chores can remove some of the dirt, bacteria and other particles from your furniture, some material is left behind. These particles can build up in your furniture over time, and they can result in a dirtier, smellier and altogether unhealthier home. Furthermore, dirty upholstery can directly reduce indoor air quality. Indoor air quality is something that is relatively easy to overlook until respiratory symptoms become problematic. However, this is a component of your indoor environment that should receive regular attention from you.
Why Upholstery Can Be Problematic…
Before you schedule upholstery cleaning services for your home, it is important to understand why these surfaces require special attention. When you use your chairs, sofas or other upholstered furnishings, your body brings bacteria, dander, dust and allergens to the fabric. Because fabric is porous by nature, these elements can become embedded in your furniture. Excellent home cleaning tips will tell you that regularly vacuuming your upholstery is a great way to remove superficial debris on your furniture. However, more significant cleaning steps are also needed for the best results. After all, debris can become so embedded in your furniture that a vacuum cleaner is ineffective. Deep cleaning efforts can remove debris and particles that are too deep for your vacuum’s suction power to reach.
Here are 4 ways you can improve the air quality in your home.
Open your windows
Leaving your windows open for even an hour is one of the best ways to reduce the concentrations of air pollutants in your home. Keeping your windows closed can cause condensation issues as well, which can lead to mould growth. It also causes the toxins and allergens already present in the home to continue growing. Some of these irritants trapped in the home include mould spores, dust, smoke, bacteria, radon, and not to mention odours.
Radon is a radioactive gas naturally found in the environment. Almost all homes have some levels of radon present but how much can vary from house to house. Radon is produced when uranium in the soil, bedrock, or water begins to decay. Being a gas, it can seep into homes through cracks in the foundation or gaps around pipes. Levels are higher in basements and crawlspaces because they are closer to the source and often poorly ventilated. Opening your windows can greatly reduce the levels of radon in your home.
Take advantage of the vents in your home
Bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans remove air pollutants directly from where they are positioned. After cooking meals, consider using the kitchen fan to eliminate fumes from gas stoves. Alternatively, you may open your windows and leave your exhausts on to bring in fresher air and to get rid of contaminants and odours simultaneously.
Add more houseplants
For those that enjoy a little nature inside their homes, adding houseplants can produce clean oxygen and eliminate toxins in the air. Be careful not to over-water the plants as the excessively damp soil may promote the growth of microorganisms which could affect people with respiratory sensitivities. If you have pets in your home, ensure the plants are not harmful to them.
Vacuum more often
Vacuuming at least twice a week (or more in homes with pets) can get rid of pet dander and other loose soils from the carpet. Vacuum too fast and you risk not picking up all the dirt trapped in your carpet, so vacuum at a slower speed for a more thorough cleaning.
Improving Indoor Air Quality with Carpet Cleaning
Carpet Cleaning
As dust, pollen, and other airborne particles that enter your home begin to settle, they often get trapped within the fibers of your rugs and carpet. This actually helps to improve the indoor air quality of your home as the carpet acts like an air filter, but when the carpet absorbs too much of these particles, it can contribute to indoor air pollution as walking on it may cause allergens to be redistributed into the air. Regular vacuuming, while important, will not adequately remove all the deeply embedded debris that could affect the indoor air quality from carpeting and area rugs. The most effective way to clean your carpet and improve the indoor air quality of your home is to hire a professional carpet cleaning service. The technicians of ServiceMaster Professional Services deep clean all types of carpeting using advanced equipment and cleaning products to remove embedded debris that contributes to indoor air pollution.
Why upholstery cleaning is important: how to deep clean your home
Upholstery cleaning might sound like a chore reserved for the rich and famous, but Millenials and parents are two demographics that deep clean the most. Consider the benefits of deep cleaning to help rid your home of unwanted germs and toxins.
Longevity
Americans spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars when purchasing new furniture. Allowing it to accumulate spills, dust and other debris wear on the fabric over time. Treat your furniture like an investment with a regular deep clean. Doing so extends the life of your furniture and will make your furniture more valuable if you decide to sell it in the future.
Air Quality
No matter the style or quality of fabric on your furniture, it retains dust that gets released into the air each time you sit down. Improve the air quality in your home by removing layers of potential allergens with an upholstery cleaning. Once a year is great for some homes, but furniture that regularly accommodates pets and lots of visitors might need deep cleaning more often. Pets bring fleas, dust mites, and bacteria from outdoors to your furniture upholstery. Your home’s air filter is a good indication of the dust levels in your home and can help you create a schedule for maintenance. Check the filter each quarter to gauge how must dust your furniture attracts each month.
Improves Health
Mold and dust allergies worsen in the face of unkempt furniture. With all the nooks and crevices on a sofa, it’s easy to overlook places where bacteria can hide. A deep upholstery cleaning is the answer. The cushions should be regularly removed and the entire frame of your furniture cleaned from end to end. When a full deep cleaning isn’t possible, even wiping the surface of most fabrics helps create a healthier surface if you have allergies.
Removes Bad Odors
Open floor plans are a gift and a curse. They are great for entertaining guests in a living room while preparing food in a kitchen. However, daily smells from the kitchen seep into the fabric of your furniture. Not all smells are problematic but over time the furniture will accumulate a smell beyond your control. A deodorizing deep clean helps you reduce and reset the odors in your home.
Style
There’s a pride of ownership that should follow an investment in furniture. How many times have you flipping a couch cushion or throw pillow to hide stains or visible wear? A deep upholstery cleaning allows you to showcase your style without embarrassment. When your furniture looks polished and clean, the entire room gives a good impression.
The Truth About Indoor Air Quality
Particles or gasses that are not normally part of the air affect air quality. This is called air pollution. Air pollution can also happen indoors. Why is this?
You bring outdoor air inside any time you open a door or window. You can also bring in pollen and smoke. Leaks around doors and windows can let in polluted outdoor air.
Indoor air can have allergens like dust, pet dander and mold. Humidity can lead to higher dust mite levels. Particles are released into the air by furnaces, wood-burning fires and candles. Cooking sends oil and fat particulates into the air. Newly installed floors and furniture can release chemicals.
Clean outdoor air needs to replace indoor air often or else the indoor air becomes more polluted. Otherwise allergens, smells and pollutants stay in your home and recirculate. Because newer, more energy-efficient homes don’t have the same gaps and cracks as older homes, there’s less air circulation.