What are common indoor air pollutants?

Understanding and controlling some of the common pollutants found in homes, schools, and offices may help improve your indoor air and reduce your family’s risk of health concerns related to indoor air quality (IAQ).

Radon is a radioactive gas that is formed in the soil. It can enter indoors through cracks and openings in floors and walls that are in contact with the ground.

• Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers, and the second leading cause of lung cancer overall.

Secondhand smoke comes from burning tobacco products. It can cause cancer and serious respiratory illnesses.

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How to Improve the Air Quality of Your Office

Many office buildings have poor IAQ because of pollution sources and poorly designed, maintained, or operated ventilation systems.

• Office workers help to improve the indoor air in their buildings by paying attention to environmental conditions including ventilation, temperature, and the presence of odors. Report any problems to facility managers immediately.
• To improve IAQ, be careful not to block air vents or grilles, keep your space clean and dry, and do not bring in products that may pollute the indoor air.

SOURCE: www.epa.gov

Improve the Indoor Air Quality in Every Room

Asthma is a serious, sometimes life-threatening respiratory disease that affects the quality of life for millions of Americans.

• Environmental asthma triggers: are found around the home and can be eliminated with simple steps.
• Don’t allow smoking in your home or car.
• Dust and clean your home regularly.
• Clean up mold and fix water leaks.
• Wash sheets and blankets weekly in hot water.
• Use allergen-proof mattress and pillow covers.
• Keep pets out of the bedroom and off soft furniture.
• Control pests—close up cracks and crevices and seal leaks; don’t leave food out.

SOURCE: www.epa.gov

How to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality

Take steps to help improve your air quality and reduce your IAQ-related health risks at little or no cost by:

1. Controlling the sources of pollution: Usually the most effective way to improve indoor air is to eliminate individual sources or reduce their emissions.

2. Ventilating: Increasing the amount of fresh air brought indoors helps reduce pollutants inside. When weather permits, open windows and doors, or run an air conditioner with the vent control open. Bathroom and kitchen fans that exhaust to the outdoors also increase ventilation and help remove pollutants.

Always ventilate and follow manufacturers’ instructions when you use products or appliances that may release pollutants into the indoor air.

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How To Stick To Your Goals

Do the hard stuff - Sometimes you need to complete a major project, tackle a task you've been putting off. Set aside time to do this project, minimize interruptions and don't stop until you're done. If the only barrier to completion is effort or motivation, stay at it and bust through that barrier.

Let everyone know - Let your coworkers, family and customers know about your resolutions and keep them updated on your results. You'll get the "peer pressure" benefit and motivation to complete your resolution.

Get in your happy place first - Studies in recent years has been driving home the field of positive psychology's message that we do not get happy because we are successful; we become successful because we are happy..

Focus on less - Barry Moltz, a small business consultant and author, advises taking this tip from Steve Jobs to pare down the number of things you work on. Jobs said he learned this while pruning apple trees at a friends' orchard. Focus on less but do them the best.

From: www.printingforless.com

How to Prevent Bugs In the Pantry and Closets

In the Pantry

Wipe down bottles. After a bottle or jar has been used, be sure to wipe down the outside of the bottle and the lid. Residue on your honey, syrup, oil, and peanut butter containers can be a bug attraction.

Store food properly. Bugs can get into all but the most tightly sealed packaging. Be sure to store items in the pantry in containers that properly seal. Consider removing many of your dry goods like sugars, flours, and bulk mixes in airtight containers. Even more frequently used items like cereal, pastas, and pet foods should be in containers that are fully resealable.

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How to Care for Your Mattress

What routine maintenance does your mattress need to keep it free of dust mites and allergens and in the best condition?

FLIP YOUR MATTRESS: To provide even wear ,every six months flip the mattress so that the top is now on the bottom, and turn it so that the foot of the mattress is now at the head. Depending on the size of your mattress, this can easily be a two person job.

USE A MATTRESS PROTECTOR: Purchase a mattress cover to protect the surface of your mattress. Choose a washable cover that is easy to remove and replace on your mattress. Some covers are even designed to reduce dust mite allergies.

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Do I Need to Seal My Tile?

Tile floors are gorgeous but can seem like a pain to keep up with. Many people advise sealing tile floors, but I thought it was just the grout that needed to be sealed?

 

It's important to realize that there are two parts of a tile floor...the tile and the grout. Grout needs to be sealed. It's naturally porous and will stain easily. Most installers of tile floors do not seal them, because grout has to cure first. It's something you should do to keep your grout looking it's best. As a bonus, sealed grout is much easier to keep clean. Sealing is done to strengthen tile or grout's defenses against dirt, spills, and erosion of grout, but not all tile needs to be sealed.

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The History of Area Rugs

Since a portion of our business is devoted to Area/Oriental Rug Cleaning I thought I would Google " History of Area Rugs". I found an interesting site that has some good information on this subject. Click here to read it.

I have noticed in the past couple of years more and more people are replacing their carpets with Hardwood Floors and Area/Oriental Rugs.

Theses Rugs area made of various materials and require specific cleaning methods. Please check out our cleaning methods for Area/Rugs on our website www.championcleaningsystems.com

Our Cleaning methods replicate the old fashioned river washing which is still being done in other countries. We inspect each rug that is brought in. We clean and dry it so the rug owner can enjoy it for many years and possibly hand it down to the next generation.

Linda Minardi - Inside Sales

How Do I Remove Spills From My Carpet?

A Two-step Solution

With today’s stain-resistant carpet, treating spots and stains has never been easier. The key is to act quickly! The longer you wait, the higher the probability that a spill will become a permanent stain. No carpet is completely stainproof. So to knock out spots, give them a one-two punch.

Step One: Absorb the Spill

• Blot liquids with a dry, white absorbent cloth or plain white paper towels (no prints or colors). Use of a printed or colored material may transfer ink or dye to your damp carpet.

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