Dusting For Health

Copyright (c) 2006 The Janitorial Store

One of the biggest complaints building owners have with
their cleaning services is poor dusting. Inadequate dusting
can be one of the factors leading to poor indoor air
quality. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists
poor indoor air quality as the fourth largest environmental
threat to our country. The American Lung Association also
points out that heating, cooling and ventilation systems
are often sources of biological substances such as dust,
mold, pollen, and dust mites.

These substances are inhaled by occupants, and can lead to
breathing problems. Dust particles are extremely small and
are irritating to the eyes, nose and skin. They can be
breathed deep into people's lungs and irritate chronic
diseases such as asthma, and can cause temporary health
problems including headaches, dry eyes, sinus congestion,
and nausea.

What is dust? It is a term that refers to a complex mixture
of organic and inorganic particles that collect and coat
surfaces. The types of particles that can be in dust
include:

* Fabric fibers from clothes, carpets, upholstery

* Sand and soil particles

* Dander brought in from people and pet dander brought in
on clothing

* Paper fibers (from paper handling and machines which can
release thousands of invisible paper fibers and starch into
the air)

* Cigarette smoke (and its toxic by-products)

* Plant and insect parts Mold spores

* Dust mites and their feces

* Viruses

* Rodent waste

* Construction debris (adhesives, sawdust, etc.)

* Pollen

* Bacteria

* Heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury

As people walk around and as your employees vacuum, they
stir up dust particles into the air. So it's not enough
just to "feather dust". Although you can never totally
remove dust, there are practical measures you can take to
control it. Instead of chasing dust around a building, stop
it at the door by using proper matting, which means long
mats that will trap soil. Another key to controlling dust
is to have the right vacuum with a good HEPA filter. This
will help to assure you are removing dust from carpet and
hard floor surfaces and not just stirring up the dust and
making it airborne.

Look for vacuum cleaners that channel air through
multi-stage filtration systems and have sealed bags, which
reduce and contain more dust than open cloth-bag systems.
If you are using a backpack vacuum look for high filtration
media. This is nearly as effective as HEPA efficiency but
is much cheaper than replacing a HEPA filter.

Eliminating the use of aerosols cuts down on harmful mists
that cleaning staff and building occupants inhale. In
addition, aerosols tend to be more expensive than cleaning
solutions.

Using microfiber cloths or anti-static disposable dusting
sleeves that fit over dusters can help in actually removing
dust instead of just pushing it around.

When you are dusting, start at the highest areas and work
your way down. Make sure that you look for areas where dust
can accumulate and clean those areas thoroughly.

Proper dusting and controlling dust is an important part of
your overall cleaning program and will lead to a healthier
building for your cleaning clients. The building occupants
will be healthier and your cleaning company will get the
credit!

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Steve Hanson is co-founder of TheJanitorialStore.com, an
online community for owners of cleaning companies. Sign up
for Trash Talk:Tip of the Week at
http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com . Read success stories at
http://www.cleaning-success.com .