Family Health and Safety: 4 Factors to Consider

Home is a place for your family to feel safe and secure, and you go out of your way to make sure that’s the case. There are smoke detectors in case of fire and an emergency kit for when the power goes out, but there might be risks you hadn’t considered. Here are four such factors that could be affecting your family.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can be deadly if inhaled. It’s produced by engines, fireplaces, heaters, and other appliances, and can leak into your house from poorly sealed garages. Be sure to allow for proper ventilation when using equipment indoors, and install a carbon monoxide detector to warn of potential danger.

Pests

Every homeowner hates ants and mice in kitchen, but pests in your home can also be dangerous. Rodents and insects carry many different diseases, and they can contaminate food with urine and feces. While traps and poisons are available commercially, it’s a better idea to contact a professional pest control company. Specialists, like those at Midwest Pest Control, offer pest control in Claremont, and other various places. Many specialists not only use the most effective methods to eliminate pests quickly and safely, they’ll also recommend ways to prevent re-infestations.

Mold

While mold in your home is certainly unsightly, it can also worsen allergies and asthma and poses a serious health threat to the elderly and young children. While you can help mitigate its effects by treating the mold with bleach, mold growth is a sign of an underlying moisture problem. Contact a professional to make sure that the moisture is not a result of leaks from pipes or from outside your house, and use a dehumidifier to lower humidity and make your home less hospitable for mold.

Radon

Like carbon monoxide, radon gas is colorless and odorless. Because it is radioactive, radon can also have serious health effects, including lung cancer. It occurs naturally as a result of the breakdown of tiny amounts of uranium, which is found in the soil throughout the country. There are at-home radon tests, but removing the gas is a job for radon mitigation professionals.

These risks might not be as familiar as fire or home invasion, but they can still threaten your family’s health and well-being. Thankfully, with a few simple steps and some expert help, you can keep your home a safe and healthy place to live.