(NAPSI)—Hold on to your tissues: Allergies may be nothing to sneeze at, with pollen and pollutants a problem indoors as well as out, but there are steps you can take to ease the season for sufferers. Here’s a look at the situation and a possible solution.

The Problem

Poor indoor air quality is now one of the top five environmental risks to public health. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the air quality in your home could actually be five times worse than the outside air even in most cities.

Because Americans now spend 90 percent of their time indoors, breathing healthy air where you live, learn and work is critical. What’s causing it? In addition to pollen and ragweed, mold, dust, pet dander and tobacco collect in carpets and on furniture, contaminating the air. Older furnaces and faulty stoves contribute to the problem and, when left untreated, are one of the leading causes of asthma, allergies, even lung disease.

What may be even more alarming is that vacuum cleaners can exacerbate the problem. Every time you vacuum, the machine may expose you to millions of microscopic particles, including dangerous carbon emissions released from the vacuum’s motor. The truth is, unless you’re using a vacuum that offers a true sealed system, the air that enters your vacuum is actually released back into the air.

A Solution

Explains Susan Goldsmith, managing director at Interbasic Resources, a nationally recognized independent testing laboratory that conducts emissions tests on various brands of vacuum cleaners: “Using a well-engineered vacuum, which precludes harmful particles from launching into the air, is a matter of health and hygiene.”

Fortunately, some vacuum cleaner manufacturers have developed products to eliminate these harmful indoor pollutants.

For example, Miele introduced the world’s first HEPA-certified vacuum cleaner and developed a 12-layer filtration system. The company’s AirClean Sealed System has been proven by independent lab tests to be over 99.9 percent effective in capturing and retaining dangerous indoor air pollutants. Designed to trap and retain virtually all the dangerous particles that other vacuums let back into the air you breathe, this machine can help safeguard you, your family and your home.

Learn More

For further facts about fighting indoor allergens and air pollutants, visit www.airtruth.com or www.mieleusa.com or call (800) 843-7231.

 

On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate(NAPSI)