HEALTH
SPRING CLEAN
Make mom proud: toss the boxes, vacuum the drapes and improve your home health
by Jason Shoad
Ali Sultani estimates he has used a vacuum twice since August. Enrolled in 20 credit hours this semester, he says he probably won't use it a third time.
"I don't like cleaning," the Shawnee junior says."After a few weeks, everything is back on the floor."
When he does clean, it's for the sake of appearance, not health.
"I don't think it's been a big issue," Sultani says. "After a few parties some cups of beer were hidden and we didn't find them until they were all messy, and I guess that could be a health hazard, but I don't think anybody has gotten sick or anything."
Maybe not, but neglecting to vacuum under the bed or clean the refrigerator once in a while can create an environment in which germs, allergens and pests thrive.
Then again, maybe animals are in your home because you put them there. Anna Banks, Topeka freshman, has several pets, including cats, dogs, fish, birds and iguanas. Because she lives at home and her family is allergic to pet dander, Banks has to dust and vacuum almost every day to prevent eye irritation and sinus problems. If she doesn't clean on a daily basis, her allergies can get so bad they give her migraines, she says.
For example, old cardboard boxes in your closet or basement could cause a chain of pest problems. Bugs go into the boxes to feed off the glue that holds them together, says Bob Amyx, a consultant for Schendel Dest Services. Then spiders go into the boxes to eat the bugs, and mice go in to eat the spiders and make nests, Amyx says.
Insects like cockroaches also will feed on dirty dishes and trash. American cockroaches are especially attracted to beer, Amyx says. Because most insects are nocturnal, it may not be obvious they're in your home.
Pet dander and other allergens can be particularly troublesome for the 20 percent of the population with allergies, says Ron Weiner, a asthma and allergy specialist for Asthma Allergy & Rheumatology Associates, 346 Maine St.
Bed bugs (yes, they really exist) also have begun returning to homes during the past few years, Amyx says. He helped eradicate a bed-bug problem at Kansas State University that he says began when students who had stayed in international hostels brought back the bugs. Getting rid of bed bugs requires an exterminator, Amyx says, but keeping your sheets clean couldn't hurt.
Mice can transmit diseases like the hantavirus, which causes flu-like symptoms and eventually can cause the lungs to fill with fluid. Mice droppings can also spoil food. Spiders like the brown recluse, which Amyx says is the most common hunting spider in northeast Kansas, can inflict bites that cause skin lesions.
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KIT LEFFLER
04. 20.2006 JAYPLAY <15
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