What is an allergy?
Our bodies have a highly sensitive mechanism for shielding us from invaders – the immune system. Allergies are the result when the immune system tries to fight off substances – many of them occurring in nature – which are in fact harmless. The body sees them as dangerous alien matter and reacts with fits of sneezing, a runny nose, sore, itching eyes, coughs, fevers and other allergy symptoms.
Are we safe indoors?
Flower pollen 1,375 times magnified
Allergies to substances in the home are increasing faster than any other type of allergy.
Contributing factors include poor air quality because windows fit too tightly, impermeable building materials, air conditioning, in adequate ventilation and incorrect vacuum cleaning.
Yet we spend around 90 per cent of our time indoors.
Invisible lodgers in household dust.
Natural fibres, hairs and flakes of skin in household dust.
Some ingredients of household dust can trigger allergic reactions, among them plant pollen, fungus spores and animal hairs. As soon as dust is dislodged, for example during vacuum cleaning, these usually invisible particles become a problem for the allergy-prone.
One of the main triggers of allergic reactions are substances secreted by household dust mites.
There are an estimate of 4.5 million people in South Africa that are allergic to household dust mites. The problem should not be underestimated because it can develop into chronic asthma. It not only affects adults, but children and teenagers too.
Where dust mites feel at home.
During its life-span a single mite produces around 200 times its weight in secretions.
The preferred habitat of these tiny, spider-like creatures is in upholstery, carpets and mattresses. There they find ideal living conditions – warmth, moisture and the flakes of human skin that supply them with food. The one and a half grams of skin shed each day by the average person is enough to feed more than a million mites.
Practical tips for allergy prevention
1. Keep rooms cool and well ventilated.
2. Use specially coated mattresses or protective covers.
3. Use pillows and duvets made from washable synthetic material.
4. Change bedclothes every 1 to 2 weeks and wash them at 60 °C minimum.
5. Don’t use bedrooms as playrooms or living-rooms during the daytime.
6. Keep bedrooms well ventilated and dry (air humidity < 50%).
7. Mites in soft toys can be destroyed by keeping the toys at –18°C overnight in the freezer once every 4 to 6 weeks.
8. Use a damp cloth for dusting – water binds dust.
Vacuuming without any ifs and buts:
The DS 5600 water filter vac.
DS 5600 water filtration vacuum
Unless they are frequently changed, dust bags are an ideal breeding ground for mites, bacteria and fungi. What is more, they can impair suction and are easily damaged, torn or burst. Or if
you’re not careful, they can slip out of place filling the vacuum cleaner with dust. And it is hard to tell when a dust bag is full.
From now on, you can forget about all that.
Kärcher’s AquaStream water filter technology makes sure that dust is sent packing. Aqua Stream water filtering technology reliably retains dust in the water, which can be disposed of in the drain
immediately after vacuuming. The best thing about this is that that water filter cannot be clogged, which keeps the vacuuming power constant!
From now on fluff, textile fibres, sand and all kinds of floor dirt, right down to microscopic allergy triggering dust particles, are not just vacuumed up. They are rendered harmless inside the cleaner
before they have a chance to multiply and find their way back into the indoor air.
1. Effective main filtering process in the transparent water-bath filter, which securely traps all coarse dirt. There is nothing left to make dust, and full suction is maintained. All you need do is empty the container
it’s as simple as that. The intermediate filter can be rinsed, making it particularly long-lasting. It filters minute floating particles out of the condensed moist air.
2. The intermediate filter can be rinsed, making it particularly long-lasting. It filters minute floating particles out of the condensed moist air.
3. The special HEPA high performance retains 99.99 % of pollen, spores, bacteria and acarian secretions.
4. The exhaust filter even traps carbon dust emissions from the cleaner’s motor.
Fibre-deep carpet and upholstery cleaning.
Kärcher spray extractors.
SE4001 spray extraction cleaner
Clean, through and through.
Whether carpets, upholstery or mattresses – Kärcher spray extraction cleaners ensure thorough and fibre-deep cleanliness.
The cleaning fluid is sprayed under pressure deep into the carpet and is vacuumed away along with the dirt it dissolves. Grease, stains and odours are eliminated as effectively as are pollen, spores,
bacteria and acarian secretions. Furthermore, hard floors can be cleaned gently and reliably with the hard surface set included. For all around hygienic living areas.
For dust allergy sufferers
When using the RM 772 anti-allergy carpet cleaner Kärcher spray extraction cleaners ensure a significant reduction in allergenic dusts. The long-lasting effect stays for up to 9 months.
For any further information or a free demonstration on our range of cleaning equipment, Click here