Goodbye dust, hello hygiene in the household

Did you know that 60 percent of all dust in the house comes from outside?* It’s mostly dirt we carry inside with shoes or on pets’ paws and also pollen and other particles floating inside through open windows. What you are for sure well aware of is what happens with all that dust: it forms grey carpets on surfaces, gets stuck in upholstery – and together with mites, crumbs and co. it forms dust bunnies in corners. If it was just to stay there… But no, whenever you and your family members walk around the house it gets whirled up resulting in particles floating through the air you breathe. This might result in a low air quality. Of course, your nose filters bigger particles – but dust in the air can result in unpleasant effects for family members with a house dust allergy: a runny nose, watery eyes, an itchy throat, or other symptoms. Gone is our safe haven, our feeling of a clean and cosy home. Luckily, there are very effective cleaning routines and even vacuum cleaners that improve indoor air.

Our personal comfort at home is closely linked to the air we breathe. Clean, cooling, refreshing – that’s what we consider fresh air to be like. It is combined with this special smell of home that makes us feel comfortable in our own four walls. It’s not only (whirled up) dust that reduces our feeling of hygiene in the household. Where people live close together, germs and bacteria spread easily. Breathing air, food odours, animals, and even plants and irrigation water emit particles turning the smell of home into niff. The natural consequence: the more family members are at home, the more particles are in the air – and the more dust arises and swirls around. A vicious circle – especially for allergy sufferers. When the air quality is at its lowest, we can’t ignore the unhygienic smell and feeling anymore. After all, we want our family members to be safe and healthy – especially with kids around.

Hygiene, cleanliness and health protection go hand in hand. The best way to keep dust, mites and bacteria out – especially when we are staying at home most of the time – is by regularly eliminating individual sources of pollution. Dust attracts dust. That’s why removing it regularly is the best way to prevent it from multiplying.

There are three things that are essential for clean air and hygiene in the household:

A combination of vacuuming and wet cleaning is the best way to keep your household clean. We recommend vacuum cleaners such as a specialised Bosch ProHygienic models . After sucking up dust and other loose particles, you can wipe away dirt that is stuck to surfaces. However, thorough cleaning doesn’t mean using disinfectants all over the place. Actually, disinfectants do not remove dirt at all. All-purpose detergent is sufficient for wet cleaning surfaces. However, especially a sensitive person should use a detergent free of chemical additives and fragrances to not cause eczema on their hands. Our experts recommend to not use a spray bottle for dispensing detergent. The reason: small droplets might be inhaled and irritate the respiratory tract. Simply use a sponge or a cloth to apply detergent. Rubber gloves can help protect the skin. Another hint: to prevent germs and bacteria from spreading from one place to another, it is important to use different cleaning cloths for the kitchen, the bathroom and especially the toilet.

Since spending more time at home, we know that regularly letting air into rooms adds to hygiene by reducing aerosols that might contain germs. To support the air exchange and improve the air quality, fully open windows for cross ventilation for five to ten minutes several times a day – not only to reduce aerosols. Regular ventilation also reduces humidity and avoids mould.

For a person with a house dust and pollen allergy it is recommended to air rooms at times of the day where pollen count is low. In the city, it’s between 6 and 8 am. In the countryside, it’s between 6 pm until midnight. To prevent pollen and other particles from coming inside, window guards can help.

For removing pathogens, bacteria and germs from clothes and also the washing machine itself, it is important that you run the machine at 60 °C once a week – including dish and cleaning cloths, towels, bedclothes and underwear. We recommend to use a heavy-duty detergent. You can wash all other clothes at 30 °C – or depending on what the washing instructions say. Sensitive people should make sure to use a detergent free of chemical additives and fragrances and also not use conditioner.

Knowing all of this, what’s the best cleaning routine to keep our household clean – effectively and hygienically? Here are some general life hacks to help reduce the number of mites, dust and other pollutants before they even arise:

• avoid dust collectors
• change your bedding weekly
• don’t wear shoes in the house
• keep humidity levels down – best is less than 60 percent, a mite-unfriendly environment
• if possible, use hard floors (easier to clean than to remove dust from carpets and rugs)
• groom pets outside so they don’t lose as much hair inside
• use a powerful vacuum cleaner for more hygiene at home

Ready to start cleaning? We’ve got your covered. Check out our tips and tricks on how to optimise your cleaning routine.

_{*Layton et al., “Migration of Contaminated Soil and Airborne Particulates to Indoor Dust”, Environmental Science & Technology, 2009}