If you are one of more than 60 million Americans who suffer from allergies, you should consider going the extra mile and deep clean your home. If you have allergies to pollutants like mold, dust mites, animal dander, human skin particles, pollen, cockroach droppings, etc., you should thoroughly cleaning your home from ceiling to floor. When I say ceiling to floor, I mean ceiling to floor. All vertical and horizontal surfaces must be wiped free of all dust. This can be accomplished by using a damp rag soaked with a mild disinfectant. Below is some baseline information for your consideration:

A. More than 100,000 dust mites can live in one yard of carpet. As a rule we are not allergic to the mite itself, it's the protein in its waste that we are allergic to. Dust mites dine on the skin cells that we shed every night on the mattress that we sleep on. To help eliminate this problem, your mattresses should be vacuumed monthly and turned over.

B. If asked, most folks will say they are allergic to an animal's fur. In reality they are probably allergic to an animal's dander, or to be more specific, the proteins in tiny flakes of skin that the animal sheds. These flakes are microscopic and can not be easily seen by the human eye. Rugs and surfaces must be thoroughly vacuumed and wiped down with a damp rag weekly to eliminate the problem.

C. Mold thrives in moist areas of the home such as bathrooms and basements. It's not the black gummy stuff growing on the grout that causes the allergic reaction, it's the spores that it produces which causes the reaction. Keeping the bath area clean is essential.

D. More than half of the people afflicted with allergies also are allergic to cockroach droppings. Roaches are usually found in kitchens or food storage areas. All remnants of food particles, drippings, splatters, etc., must be eliminated. Powdered Borax Acid mixed with a little sugar will eliminate the roaches; however, they will return if the area is not cleaned up.

E. Plant pollen is a seasonal problem, usually during spring and fall. Again, vacuum all of the rugs, mop hard surface floors, and damp dust all vertical and horizontal surfaces weekly,

If you're uncertain as to whether you have allergies consider the following condition; do your eyes itch or water, is your nose blocked, runny or are you constantly sneezing, does your skin feel itchy, you probably have allergies and should consider consulting with your family physician

For those of you who are afflicted with severe allergies, you should consider having a professional cleaning company deep clean your home every six months. By doing that your daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning requirements will be substantially eased and you will physically feel better.

If you are allergic to any of the above products, please don't use them. Always test fabric and paints before using any chemical compounds. Please remember to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands & eye protection for your eyes. If you would like to share a cleaning idea or concept with the reading audience, please call Ed at 255-2266 or send them to Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St., Sandpoint, ID 83864, Attn: What would Ed Do?

Note: Copy wrote by Ed Madan, certified executive housekeeper for Northwest Environmental Services.