Central air conditioning comes with a steep price for some people — an increase in allergy symptoms. This occurs because AC systems must operate in a closed environment in order to be effective and low-cost. The restriction of airflow from outside means any contaminants in the air are continually recirculated through the building, and if these include allergens, there’s very little relief for allergy sufferers. The better insulated the environment, the worse the effects can be.

Contaminants found in indoor air include:

• Synthetic fibers from carpets and furniture fabrics
• Chemicals contained in building materials including formaldehyde
• Cleaning and personal care products
• Insecticides and pesticides
• Gases produced by water heaters and cooking appliances including carbon monoxide (CO), which is potentially lethal
• Fumes produced by combustible agents including tobacco products and wood burning fireplaces
• Pet dander and dust mites
• Contaminants introduced from outdoor air, including pollen and radon gas.

Annoying, unpleasant and unhealthy – every home has a problem with house dust.

What many people don’t realize is that dust particles are made up of billions of parts, the greatest share of which is fine dust. These tiny grains of dust are anything but harmless to your health. They include pollen, house mite faeces, bacteria and mould spores. The fine dust particles can get deep into your lungs and irritate the respiratory system. This is not just a problem for those with allergies but also for healthy people.

Here is an easy DIY for homemade carpet deodorizer that uses just two ingredients. It’s simple, it’s fast and it really works!

Supplies

* 1 cup baking soda (we buy ours in bulk to save money)

* 30-40 drops essential oils of choice (see notes below)

* complementary herbs (optional)

* glass jar with measuring spoon OR a glass jar with a lid (see notes below) I prefer to buy my essential oils HERE.

Method

If you’re using herbs, grind them in an old coffee grinder or in a blender.

Some people refuse to clean with vinegar because of the odor. (If you

clean with vinegar you know that the smell doesn’t last for long. Vinegar is a natural deodorizer… it dries scentless.)

Making scented vinegar is easy and serves as a great natural cleaner. 

Citris infused cleaner:

Peel two-3 lemons, limes or organes and add the rinds to a mason jar. top the peels with cleaning vinegar and allowed it to sit for 7-10days to infuse the fragrance. The vinegar will turn a light yellow color during the process.