When it comes to looking for trouble spots in our homes, we are generally drawn to the obvious. Plumbing systems, heating systems and the things that we see every day will get the most attention when it comes to spotting early warning signs and taking care of problems before they get worse. However, there are hidden dangers in your home, and you may not be aware of the toll they are taking, or the risk that you may be facing. It’s time to get dirty and start rooting out these troublesome issues now.

Dust Bunnies –

With a name this cute, they can’t be harmful, can they? Think again. Not only are dust bunnies a fire hazard, but they can also harbor thousands of dust mites. If you are not familiar with dust mites, these are tiny little mites that live in dust, mattresses, and in many different items of your home. A few may not cause problems, but most homes will have at least tens of thousands of these creatures.

In some homes, the number may even be over a million. What does that mean for you? It means respiratory problems, issues with asthma and generally finding it hard to breath. Even if you keep a spotless house everywhere else, if you’re not getting rid of dust bunnies, your efforts to keep the air clean will be in vain. Make it a point to search for dust bunnies at least once a month and get rid of them whenever you find them.

Cobwebs –

These occur in most homes, and while you may be able to spot the ones that are right in front of you, those with higher ceilings may be missing some. They can occur in cold air returns, corners, under beds, stairways, or anywhere else where there are spiders and room enough to make a web. While they don’t look very nice, there is actually a hidden danger to cobwebs.

These little webs are actually incredibly flammable. You might be surprised by the amount of homes, barns and other buildings that have gone up in flames after a spark found a cobweb. It pays to get rid of these nasty little webs whenever you spot one.

The Air You Breathe –

This is all around you, but if you’re not testing it, you can’t know whether or not it is safe. Homes can have radon gas, propane, carbon monoxide and many other harmful particles, gases and irritants floating around. If you don’t yet have detectors in place for these, you need to.

Early detection of these gases and irritants may save your life. Carbon monoxide is particularly dangerous and incredibly common. If you get only one detector, this is the best one to have. While not all homes may have radon present, the chance for carbon monoxide is much higher, especially in homes with gas appliances and furnaces. Take the time to inspect not only your home, but the air that is in it, to ensure the safety of everyone that lives there.

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Originally posted 2008-10-30 05:28:31. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Categories:

Clean, Handy Man, Heating, Safety

Tags:

asthma, barns, ceilings, cobweb, cobwebs, cold air, dust mites, early warning signs, fire hazard, flames, harbor thousands, heating systems, hidden danger, mattresses, plumbing systems, respiratory problems, spiders, stairways, trouble spots, troublesome issues