Hidden Dangers In The Home

Do you have any idea what some of the top hidden dangers in a home could be? Home may be where our heart lies, but it can also pose a major health hazard and make every one who dwells within really sick. Many of the dangers are elements you can’t see and sometimes smell. It is so important to take some time and make sure that safety in the home applies to you.

Listed below are 7 top dangers you should be aware of whether you live in an apartment or own a home.

Carbon Monoxide

This is a silent killer. You can’t see it or smell it and usually comes from faulty fuel-burning appliances: furnaces, stoves, fireplaces, clothes dryers, water heaters and space heaters, as well as automobile exhaust from attached garages when a car is left idling too long.

Low levels of this “killing”gas can cause headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue. Much higher levels can lead a person to unconsciousness, impaired vision, nausea, vomiting, confusion and death while sleeping. Make sure you have a detector on every level of your home or mid-way in your apartment before the bedrooms. Have your furnace checked annually and make sure the flue is always open and not blocked in your fireplace.

Cleaning Products

The leading killer of children under the age of five is products found under the sink. If you can’t store them high, then spend the few dollars it cost to place a baby-proof lock on your cabinets. And while you’re cleaning, make sure the bottles are not within reach.

Mothballs

These naphthalene balls may keep moths away but they emit caustic chemicals that through inhalation, ingestion and dermal contact can cause anemia, damage to the liver, and, in infants, neurological damage. Use cedar blocks, cedar chips or dried lavender instead.

Medications

The various shapes and colors look as tempting as candy. Make sure your pharmacist uses child safety caps & when you’re trying to get your little one to take their medicine, don’t tell them it tastes like candy, even if it does. Store them where little hands can’t get at them. Teenagers are abusing prescription drugs at an alarming rate. Keep them where they can’t find them or under lock and key.


Carpet Chemicals


Most people don’t realize they are sensitive to chemicals until something happens. If you are renovating/building your home or apartment with new carpeting, be aware that new carpet smell is 4-PC, a chemical in carpet backing. The smell can last days, even a week and cause temporary headaches and hoarseness in people sensitive to chemicals. The room should be kept well ventilated until the smell goes away if sensitivity occurs.

Dust Mites

These little buggers you can’t get rid of so, the key is putting a barrier between you and them. Because we can’t see them they are one of the most common causes of allergies and asthma. They feed off of moisture and the dead skin cells our bodies shed. Gross … yes and their favorite place to hide are in our beds, pillows, mattresses and sheets. Wash bedding once a week, place your children’s favorite pillow or stuffed animal in the freezer for a few hours as it kills them, don’t go to bed with wet hair and regularly vacuum your floors. Purchase an allergy cover for your mattress as they’re woven and mites can’t get through (around $40.00).

Mold

Mold spores make their home in damp spots within 24-48 hours and it doesn’t take much for them to multiply. They trigger asthma symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath and responsible for sneezing; runny or stuffy nose; itchy, watery eyes; and inflamed sinuses. They grow on damp basement walls, in carpeting that gets wet constantly, inside closets and on wooden backs and bottoms of furniture stored in damp spaces.

Use a fan in the bathroom during your shower or bath to pull the moisture out of air, wiped down your shower and don’t allow the moisture to sit, use a dehumidifier constantly if you have a moist basement, don’t use carpeting in the bathroom, kitchen or laundry room where moisture can build up. If you have these symptoms but can’t find the cause, call a home inspector as they’re licensed and trained to find the source.

Out of sight and out of mind is not always good. Be alert and cognizant of those hidden dangers before they can cause any harm to you and your family.