What are Indoor Allergies and What Causes Them?

admin • Oct 14, 2021

Woman With Tissue On Face — Southeast, FL — Pure Maintenance Mold Removal

What are indoor allergies and what causes them?

Allergies are a body’s way of reacting to a substance that does not irritate many other people.

When that substance enters the body, we produce antibodies designed to fight that substance.

These antibodies can irritate your eyes, skin, lungs, or any other part of your body. Common irritations include respiration problems, asthma, sinus infections, headaches, coughing and sometimes mental confusion. Extreme reactions can affect your nervous system or cause anaphylaxis which is a potentially life threatening emergency. Most allergies cannot be cured, but treatments are available to reduce the effects of the antibodies.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American spends 93% of their life indoors or in their car. Therefore, individuals who are sensitive to indoor allergens are far more likely to suffer from allergies. Common indoor allergens we’ll discuss in this article are dust, dust mites, mold, and pet dander.

Dust: There is a common misconception that dust is mostly human skin. It is not because human skin mostly ends up in the shower when we wash. Most of dust comes from outside, as dirt tracked in on your feet, and airborne particles like pollen and soot. The rest is mostly carpet fluff, clothes fibers, and pet hair. A way to reduce the amount of dust in your home is to dust regularly, and wash fabrics often.

Dust Mites: Dust mites are microscopic, insect-like pests that generate some of the most common indoor substances – or allergens – that can trigger allergic reactions and asthma in many people. Hundreds of thousands of dust mites can live in the bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture, carpets, or curtains in your home. They feed on the dead human skin cells found in dust. Dust mites are not parasites; they do not bite, sting, or burrow into our bodies. The harmful allergen they create comes from their excrement and body parts. Dust mites are nearly everywhere; roughly 80% of homes in the U.S. have detectable levels of dust mites in at least one bed. The ways to reduce the presence of dust mites are: Reduce humidity, reduce the places dust mites can grow, replace carpets (preferably with non-carpet), and dust regularly.

Mold: Mold is a type of multicellular microscopic organism found both outdoors and indoors. It is a living thing, and it lives to reproduce and colonize. You can develop a mold allergy at any age. If you have a mold allergy, it can trigger symptoms of hay fever such as a runny nose, cough, and headaches. The symptoms can begin immediately upon exposure and persist all day.

This is especially true if you spend long periods of time around the mold. Diagnosis of mold allergies can take time and identifying the source of mold can be challenging. Medications can help alleviate the effect of a mold allergy, but the best action is always removing the mold or avoiding it altogether. Some molds produce mycotoxins so dangerous that they can cause lifelong problems or even death. The best way to solve a mold infestation problem is to work with a licensed mold remediator. They have the right tools, products, and training to make your indoor space healthy again.

Pet Dander: Did you know that 6% of the US population is allergic to cats? And the cat dander is much more potent in causing allergic reactions than the animal’s fur or hair. Eliminating these allergens from your indoor space can go a long way towards creating a healthy home or office.

The solution to too much pet dander is to wash and brush your animals often, and preferably outside.

We need to face facts. Diagnosing and living with allergies are two difficult things to do. Since we tend to spend so much time indoors, it is time to pay attention to our indoor air quality and make it as clean as possible. Your health may depend on it.

Submitted by Pure Maintenance of Jacksonville, Florida

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Why Does My Produce Produce Mold?

By admin • 05 Aug, 2022

Why Does My Produce Produce Mold? I have often been asked to look at a home for potential mold problems. One common denominator that seems to often follow a home with elevated “Mold Load” is their fruits and vegetables get moldy quickly. Here is the question of the day, Is the mold from the house, or was the produce inoculated prior to bringing the groceries in the house. It's a great question, and may be tough to answer. First of all, we know that fruit, and vegetables will occasionally have mold on them from the orchard or farm, to the processing plant, and finally to the retail store. I say “occasionally” because prevention is a high priority for the packaging plants. The general guideline is that if a store receiving manager feels there is more than 10 percent mold or bacteria, they often will reject the entire shipment. Additionally, About 20 percent of all fruits and vegetables harvested each year end up in the trash due to microbial spoilage, according to an April 2016 review published in Food Microbiology: Principles into Practice. Some are contaminated with bacteria or mold, while others go bad because of high temperatures, oxidation or increased humidity. Spoilage microorganisms can affect fresh produce anytime during harvesting, handling, distribution or storage. So, although these figures are concerning, we as consumers can't change them, and we can only prevent what we can prevent. So what about the food that gets moldy from our homes’ indoor environment? I have recently read an article that states that if you keep your apples in the refrigerator, they should stay good for about a week, if you leave them on the countertop, they should be good for about 7 days. All kidding aside, if you find you can't even get 5 to 7 days without the food getting moldy, you likely haveelevated mold load in the home. A few things you can do, as a homeowner, to keep your food from getting moldy. Wash or rinse your produce. According to Health.com, The reason to wash fresh fruits and veggies is to rinse away soil, microbes, and pesticides. Sometimes you'll see visible soil on leafy greens and other veggies, which can be unappetizing and add a gritty texture to your meal. Microbial pathogens found on produce, including E. coli, salmonella, the microbes that cause norovirus, and mold or fungus can result in foodborne illness. Dry the fruits and vegetables thoroughly. Moisture encourages mold growth. Keep an eye on spoilage dates printed on packages, including deli meats and cheeses. Refrigerate foods quickly when you bring them home. And finally, and maybe most importantly, get your home healthy. If you find your food is spoiling before it should, you likely have “elevated mold load” in your home. Elevated mold load includes spores, growing mold, dormant mold, and the mycotoxins associated with mold. Call Pure Maintenance and see if they can help. If your home grows mold on fruits and vegetables, meats and cheeses quickly, you can figure the indoor air quality isn’t doing your personal health any favors. Pure Maintenance is literally, “A Fresh Start to a Healthy Home” Mike Adams

The Molecules of Life

By admin • 10 Jan, 2022

In this series of posts, I’ll be explaining how peracetic acid (PAA) kills or inactivates microbes. But first I need to set the stage. PAA is a highly reactive molecule. But to explain what the PAA is reacting with and why that matters, I first need to describe what microbes are made of. All living things (including microbes) are made up of a complex mix of chemicals. But we can place all of those chemicals into three broad groups: water, small molecules, and macromolecules.

Characteristics of PAA

By admin • 18 Nov, 2021

Characteristics of PAA PAA or Peracetic Acid has been somewhat of a buzz word in recent years, not only in the safety and health world but across numerous well-known industries. The use and market share of this chemical has grown rapidly in the last 5 years. This is due to its myriad of applications, it’s ease of use, effectiveness and the fact that it does not leave behind any toxic residues. With its many advantages, it is hard to find another chemical like it. PAA is instrumental in ensuring that a variety of products are safe for consumer use. It is a chemical that serves as both disinfectant and sanitizer in the healthcare, wastewater treatment, food industries and beyond. Produced by reacting acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide with an acid catalyst, peracetic acid is always sold in stabilized solutions containing acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and water. For the food and healthcare industries, peracetic acid is typically sold in concentrates of 1 to 5 percent and is diluted before use. PAA can also be known as peroxyacetic acid, peracetic acid, periacetic acid or per acid. It is a clear, colorless liquid, known for being a strong oxidizing agent. Those electrons you see in the above chemical structure play an important role in making PAA such successful disinfectant. It usually has a strong, vinegar (acetic acid) like odor. PAA degrades rapidly, leaves little to no residue, and decomposes into relatively harmless naturally occurring substances. Its decomposition products are acetic acid, oxygen and water. It is known for being environmentally friendly because unlike other sanitizers, no rinse is required. PAA Can be used as a sanitizer, disinfectant or sterilizer…It is just a matter of contact time and concentration. How is it so effective? The reason for the excellent and rapid antimicrobial effects of peracetic acid is its specific capability to penetrate the cell membrane. It does this through the process of oxidation – Remember all those electrons? In the most basic terms, oxidation is the transfer of electrons. PAA disinfects by oxidizing of the outer cell membrane bacterial cells, endospores, yeast, mold spores and other types of cells. Inside the cell it denatures proteins, disrupts cell wall permeability, oxidizes sulfur bonds in enzymes. PAA irreversibly disrupts the cells systems and destroys it. Is there a downside? Or is PAA an invincible powerhouse? Despite the significant benefits of PAA use, there are concerns about the health and safety of those exposed to PAA while working with the chemical. PAA in high concentrations can be corrosive and cause mild to severe irritation of the eyes, nasal and upper respiratory system. Properly handling and taking recommended precautions while using or applying PAA is essential. For industrial hygienists, accurate quantification of PAA in air remains challenging as it rapidly degrades into its constituents of acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide, and sampling methodologies are still undergoing development by both governmental agencies and private companies. This makes it difficult to determine concrete occupational exposure limits. This is a work in progress by private industry and governmental industries alike. In conclusion, it is safe to say that the hype around PAA is not without merit. The list of applications and uses pf PAA will continue to grow as will our knowledge on how to quantify it and safely use it. It is an exciting time to be in this industry. Morgan Henrie

What are Indoor Allergies and What Causes Them?

By admin • 14 Oct, 2021

What are indoor allergies and what causes them? Allergies are a body’s way of reacting to a substance that does not irritate many other people. When that substance enters the body, we produce antibodies designed to fight that substance. These antibodies can irritate your eyes, skin, lungs, or any other part of your body. Common irritations include respiration problems, asthma, sinus infections, headaches, coughing and sometimes mental confusion. Extreme reactions can affect your nervous system or cause anaphylaxis which is a potentially life threatening emergency. Most allergies cannot be cured, but treatments are available to reduce the effects of the antibodies. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American spends 93% of their life indoors or in their car. Therefore, individuals who are sensitive to indoor allergens are far more likely to suffer from allergies. Common indoor allergens we’ll discuss in this article are dust, dust mites, mold, and pet dander. Dust: There is a common misconception that dust is mostly human skin. It is not because human skin mostly ends up in the shower when we wash. Most of dust comes from outside, as dirt tracked in on your feet, and airborne particles like pollen and soot. The rest is mostly carpet fluff, clothes fibers, and pet hair. A way to reduce the amount of dust in your home is to dust regularly, and wash fabrics often. Dust Mites: Dust mites are microscopic, insect-like pests that generate some of the most common indoor substances – or allergens – that can trigger allergic reactions and asthma in many people. Hundreds of thousands of dust mites can live in the bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture, carpets, or curtains in your home. They feed on the dead human skin cells found in dust. Dust mites are not parasites; they do not bite, sting, or burrow into our bodies. The harmful allergen they create comes from their excrement and body parts. Dust mites are nearly everywhere; roughly 80% of homes in the U.S. have detectable levels of dust mites in at least one bed. The ways to reduce the presence of dust mites are: Reduce humidity, reduce the places dust mites can grow, replace carpets (preferably with non-carpet), and dust regularly. Mold: Mold is a type of multicellular microscopic organism found both outdoors and indoors. It is a living thing, and it lives to reproduce and colonize. You can develop a mold allergy at any age. If you have a mold allergy, it can trigger symptoms of hay fever such as a runny nose, cough, and headaches. The symptoms can begin immediately upon exposure and persist all day. This is especially true if you spend long periods of time around the mold. Diagnosis of mold allergies can take time and identifying the source of mold can be challenging. Medications can help alleviate the effect of a mold allergy, but the best action is always removing the mold or avoiding it altogether. Some molds produce mycotoxins so dangerous that they can cause lifelong problems or even death. The best way to solve a mold infestation problem is to work with a licensed mold remediator. They have the right tools, products, and training to make your indoor space healthy again. Pet Dander: Did you know that 6% of the US population is allergic to cats? And the cat dander is much more potent in causing allergic reactions than the animal’s fur or hair. Eliminating these allergens from your indoor space can go a long way towards creating a healthy home or office. The solution to too much pet dander is to wash and brush your animals often, and preferably outside. We need to face facts. Diagnosing and living with allergies are two difficult things to do. Since we tend to spend so much time indoors, it is time to pay attention to our indoor air quality and make it as clean as possible. Your health may depend on it. Submitted by Pure Maintenance of Jacksonville, Florida