4 Scary Things Lurking in your Home

You probably think of your home as a pleasant escape from the rest of the world. The ugly truth is that there are some scary things lurking in your house. Chances are that you already have these four scary things at home.

The scary thing about mold is that it tends to grow in places you can’t see. Since you can see any mold growing in your shower, it’s easy to remove it. Persistent mold is usually in basements, attics, and other areas where you wouldn’t even notice it.

Mold usually grows in damp environments. It only takes a small leak in one of your pipes to give mold a happy home.

When mold releases spores, it can cause serious allergic reactions in some people.

To eliminate mold, you need to investigate your entire home regularly to find and prevent any water sources. As long as the mold is on a hard surface like concrete or wood, you can probably remove it with water and detergent. If it’s on carpet, drywall, or other absorbent surfaces, though, you may need to replace damaged areas.

Dust mites are tiny insects that, as their name suggests, live in dust. You can find them hiding in carpet, on stuffed animals, and all over your furniture.

As if having small insects in your home isn’t bad enough, dust mites can cause a variety of allergic reactions in some people. Reactions may include:

While you probably can’t end dust mites from your home, you can lower their population considerably. Having Preferred Air Conditioning & Mechanical perform maintenance services on your HVAC system will help remove a lot of dust, dust mites, and other allergens.

According to a report from the National Pesticide Telecommunications Network, about 90 percent of homes in the United States use a pesticide. This wouldn’t be a serious problem as long as infrequent pesticide use was just for getting rid of outdoor pests. Unfortunately, the report finds that pesticide use is greater indoors than outdoors.

That means a lot of people are living in homes contaminated with pesticides. A lot of those pesticides enter the home on shoes, clothing, and pets.

Since you can’t stop pesticides from coming indoors, you need to make sure you have good ventilation that will prevent them from accumulating. Open windows on pleasant days and use your central air system to keep the air moving.

You may think that formaldehyde is only a problem in funeral homes and other places that embalm bodies. The truth is that the carcinogenic chemical has many uses. Some applications can bring formaldehyde into your home.

Pressed wood products are the most common sources of formaldehyde. That means wood paneling, desks, and entertainment centers could slowly emit it into your house. It’s even present in some paper towels, glues, toothpaste, and cosmetics.

Try not to buy items that contain formaldehyde. If you don’t bring it into your home, you won’t have to worry about it.

While it’s impossible to make your home 100 percent safe, there are things you can do to cut exposure. Take the necessary steps to improve the health of everyone in you