It’s almost February, and Valentine’s Day is right around the corner—the season of LOVE is upon us! And we’re especially full of love over at Brody’s Dry, as Blake is preparing to marry the love of his life, Victoria, later this year. LOVE is all around at our house, and hopefully yours as well!

Unfortunately, the winter months are prime time for more unpleasant stuff in the air at our homes and workplaces. Here’s a few of the dangerous types of pollutants that build up in your home during the long winter months:

  • Heat sources: Burning oil, gas, kerosene, coal and wood lead to indoor air pollution. These sources can include wood-burning stoves, fireplaces, clothes dryers and cooktops. It also includes your home’s central heating system, which has probably been running around the clock with our cold winter temperatures!
  • Mold and mildew: Steam from your bathroom and kitchen have nowhere to escape when your windows are closed tight to keep out the cold. Mold and mildew spores reproduce quickly, and become airborne. These particles are easily inhaled by people and animals living in the home, and can cause severe health problems if left untreated.
  • Pet hair and dander: Since pets spend more time indoors during the winter months, their cast-off hair and dander accumulates more quickly. These particles are extremely small, making them one of the most irritating and difficult to remove allergens in the home. Combine that with their owners also spending more time indoors, and you’ve got a recipe for a full-blown allergy attack and ongoing respiratory issues. Many pet owners complain that they are “allergic” to their dogs and cats in the winter, but are fine during the summer.
  • Dust mites: Because we naturally spend more time indoors in the winter months, more of our skin cells shed inside of our home—gross but true. These cells provide a feast for dust mites, and populations soar inside when the temps drop outside. These mites love to make their home in upholstered furniture, draperies, bedding and carpets.

What can you do to make sure that LOVE is all that is in the air in your home? Here’s a few tips:

  1. Make sure any appliance you are using to bring heat into your home is well-maintained and working properly to reduce dangerous emissions.
  2. Run the exhaust fan or crack a window when taking a shower or bath. Use the vent hood on your stove when boiling water and let your dishwasher cool completely before opening to prevent excess steam buildup in your home.
  3. Brush and bathe your pet regularly to reduce shedding, if possible. Wash your pet’s bedding weekly, and vacuum any soft surfaces your pet likes to lounge once or twice per week to reduce hair and dander build-up. We recommend using a top-quality vacuum for best results, like the Sebo x4–the only vacuum used in the White House and Buckingham Palace!
  4. Have all soft surface floor coverings and upholstery professionally cleaned mid-winter using dry, organic products. Don’t call a traditional steam-cleaning company–the LAST thing you want to add to your home is more wetness and steam! Also, many cut-rate companies use products that can fill the air with dangerous chemical emissions. We recommend a company that uses organic products to deep clean your soft surfaces without leaving your air quality in worse shape than before!

At Brody’s Dry, we know that dry organic carpet cleaning is the best and safest method for cleaning carpets, rugs and upholstery in your home or business—no matter the time of year. Our patented Host Dry Extraction Cleaning System is green certified and second to none in quality deep cleaning, and in making your house healthier through improving your indoor air quality by 85%. Want to make sure that LOVE is all that is in the air in your home? Call today to schedule your FREE estimate! Give us a ring at (816) 895-7000 or just click HERE.