An Asthma and Allergy Nightmare-Working at Home Can Give You Asthma and Allergies

You have been laid off from your corporate job, the first thing you think is that you will start your own business at home. This has been your dream for years now. You always wanted to be self-employed, so what better time than now. The corporate workplace is going thru a major restructuring so you figure this is the best thing for you to do for the moment. A dream come true but the dream can turn into a "An Asthma and Allergy Nightmare" if not done right.

A Home Office can be just as toxic as a regular job workplace. The reason being, most of us do not really take care of our home like we should. There are several things you must do before you set up your Work-At-Home Office:

1. When was the last time you checked the A/C System for cleanliness. Is there visible mold or dirt on the coils. Look at them or have a professional A/C Contractor inspect the unit for visible dirt and allergens. This is important.

2. Have you had the Duct System inspected lately? If you A/C System is contaminated with dust and allergens, the odds are that your Duct System is also contaminated. Have a professional A/C Contractor inspect the system. This is very important. Remember that the A/C System and the Duct System are the lungs of your home and must be kept clean of all mold and allergy producing allergens.

3. How is the air flow into the area where you are putting your Home Office? The normal Duct System setup for a home is inadequate for air flow for a Home Office. Why, OSHA requires a workplace have a constant flow of outdoor fresh air into the workplace by law. Your home is exempt from this law unless you set it up to work that way. Talk to an A/C Contractor to see if they can help you do this.

4. If you have carpet, when was the last time it was cleaned. Carpeting is one of the biggest sources of dust mites and dust particles that people with Asthma are allergic to. We at Safe Homes do not recommend using carpet at all due to this problem. Safe Homes recommends installing tile, marble, stone or real wood. The problem lies in the fact that as you handle paper in your Home Office, particles of the paper become airborne and will become lodged in the carpeting. Remove the carpeting before moving into your Home Office.

5. Cleaning the office, when you worked at your corporate job, they had cleaning crews come in at night and take care of this problem. What is your plan of action here. If you plan on spending a lot of time in this area, it is important to keep the dust and allergens out of your workplace. Also, use non-toxic cleaning supplies, go to your local Green Cleaning Supplies area of the supermarket and pick some up. Remember, you are responsible for keeping your own area clean now, not someone else.

In conclusion, working out of your home brings a lot of hidden dangers that can cause Asthma and Allergies. Keeping the lungs of your home clean is important. Making sure that there is sufficient air flow into this area will make you more productive. Replacing the carpet with a suitable non-allergenic replacement that Safe Homes recommends will keep dust mites and allergen levels down.

You are starting on a new career, make sure it is clean or you will be embarking on "An Asthma and Allergy Nightmare" instead of your "Dream Job" of being self employed.

If you have any questions, feel free to call us or visit our website.

To learn more about your home, visit our website at http://www.safe-homes.com

Mr. Art Emiss is available as a professional speaker to help educate your community or group function about Asthma, Allergies and The Chemically Injured.