USE a vacuum with a power brush if you have any carpets. Vacuums without a power brush will clean a bare floor but leave more dirt in area rugs and carpets.

REMOVE dust from furniture, window sills and troughs, doors, and steps in the home on a regular basis. Use a lint free rag and keep changing it when it gets dirty.

Three Months Plan:
Remove deep dust by making 25 passes over the door mat and the carpet within four feet of the entrance doors, 16 passes over high traffic areas, and 8 passes over the rest of the carpet every week for three months.

One Week Plan:
BUY, rent, or borrow a vacuum with a dirt finder that has a red and green lights to show where the deep dust is and when it is nearly all out. Clean one 4 ft by 4 ft square at a time before you move to the next area. You may be surprised by how much time it takes for the first cleaning. Spread the work over several days. Consider wearing a two-strap dust mask while vacuuming. Once you get the deep dust out the green light on the dirt finder should come on in four seconds or less if you hold the vacuum in one place. The dirt finder can save time by showing you when the area is clean. Check reports in your library before you buy. Vacuums with dirt finders start around $165 but top rated vacuums can be bought for $300 to $370 and cost $15 per month with a credit card.

Mold Mitigation

A carpet laid on concrete in a basement, or that has been soaked by spills, floods, or plumbing leaks poses a high risk for developing mold and an excess of dust mites and bacteria. These conditions can trigger allergies, asthma, and other diseases. Dry wet carpets and pad underneath with a fan and/or heater within 24 hours to reduce this risk. If mold has started in a carpet, it is advisable to remove the carpet, as it is extremely difficult to eliminate such mold. Apartment dwellers often do not have the option of removing a moldy carpet. If you cannot remove the carpet or move to a different apartment, keep your carpet clean and home well-ventilated by running the bathroom fan continuously and opening windows one eighth inch or as wide as you can during the warmer weather. Try to have children sleep in areas that are not moldy.

We encourage everyone with a small child, allergies, asthma, immune deficiencies, or who wants a healthier home to ask for a free home environmental assessment by a Master Home Environmentalist They can survey risks from moisture, mold, indoor air, lack of ventilation, and biological pollutants as well as lead and dust. (MHE) by calling:

In Seattle, the American Lung Association of Washington at 206-441-5100 (www.alaw.org)

Clean air for kids in Tacoma at 253-798-2954, and 509-248-4384 in Yakima, WA.

Increasing the amount of fresh air coming into a home may increase your energy level. The MHE can help you reduce your total exposure to all pollutants in the home. They can also point you toward a professional resource if they find high risks or remedies that may have higher costs. If you have a serious environmental health problem such as severe health complaints, more than one square foot of mold, or sewage back up call your doctor or the King County Hazard Line at 206-296-4692 or 1-800-633-7585.