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Dylos DC1100 Air Quality Monitor
	Dylos DC1100 Air Quality Monitor >1.0 micron and >5.0 micron reading. Home Model Now you can really see how clean the air is in your home! Retail Price  $187.99 + $12 S&H
Dylos DC1100 Air Quality Monitor >0.5 micron and >2.5 micron reading Retail Price  $248.99 + $12 S&H Doctors Offices / Building Engineers / Testing Air Filters / Pharmaceutical / Clean Room Application / Schools	Professional Model
Home Model 1.0 Micron Air Quality Monitor Professional Model 0.5 Micron - Measures all the Lung Damaging Particles in the air that can reach the deepest parts of your lungs. Asthma Trigger size particles are between 0.5 and 7.0  microns. Asthma Trigger size particles often bring on asthma attacks.
Keep the air your family breathes clean. An advanced air quality monitor continuously checks your home particulate levels.  A true laser particle counter which counts and sizes individual airborne particles available for the first time at an affordable price. Great diagnostic tool for allergy and asthma suffers.   2 size ranges - small (fine dust, bacteria, mold, etc.) and large (coarse dust, pollen, dust mite debris, etc).  Data storage of up to 30 days of history for analysis.  Simple to use, compact (7.0 x 5.0 x3.5 inches), lightweight, and runs off 9V AC adaptor. Just turn the unit on and read the number on the left side (1 micron size) Home Model > 1 micron size particles 0 - 25 Excellent Air Quality 25 - 50 Very Good 50 - 100 Good 100 - 350 Fair 350 - 1000 Poor 1000 + Very Poor

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OUTDOOR AIR HOUSTON TX Friday Morning 9 am 9/14/2007
	OUTDOOR AIR Houston TX   Particle count After the grass has been cut Friday Morning 9 am 9/14/2007 20700 particles >1 micron size particles / ft3

ROOM AIR CLEANER TEST USING A 20" BOX FAN WITH 3M FILTRETE 1085 AIR FILTER

A $26 Box Fan Room Air Cleaner

removes 90% of particles greater than 1 micron in 32 mins

Testing Equipment  Dylos Laser Particle Counter

20 inch box fan ran on low speed and 3m filtrete air filter

Indoor IAQ Test Initial  conditions  3300 particles / ft3 >1 micron size particles 72 degrees F    -   52% RH 32 min test using 3M Filtrete air filter 3M # 1085 red wrapper air filter $12  Lowes	Indoor Monitor gives you a history minute hour days - up to 30 days
32 minute Indoor IAQ Test  on >1 micron size particles / ft3 Initial  condition 3300 particles/ ft3 2 mins later reading 2000 particles/ ft3 27 mins later reading 600 particles/ ft3 32 mins later reading 300 particles/ ft3 90% reduction in >1 micron size particles in 32 minutes
Initial  condition 3300 particles / ft3 >1 micron size particles	32 minute IAQ Test Inside my office Indoor Particle Count Initial Conditions 3300 particles >1 micron size particles / ft3 9/14/2007
* 2 mins later *
	2 mins later reading 2000 particles  >1 micron size particles / ft3
* 27 mins later *
	27 mins later reading 600  particles  >1 micron size particles / ft3
* 32 mins later *
	31 mins later reading 300 - >1 micron size particles / ft3
Box Fan ROOM Air Cleaner 20 inch Box Fan & 3M Filtrete 1085 Air Filter reduced 90% >1 micron size particles in 32 minutes

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A Technology and Price Breakthrough

The Dylos DC1100 is the first affordable instrument designed for monitoring particulate pollution in homes. It detects airborne particulates including dust, mold, pollen, bacteria, tobacco smoke, pet dander, dust mite debris, and more. The DC1100 continuously monitors and stores data so that you can analyze the cleanliness of your home air and the effectiveness of your air purifiers and filters.



Our engineering staff has extensive experience designing particle monitoring instruments for pharmaceutical, semiconductor, research, and other demanding clients. Now, for the first time, this technology is made available to the home user at an affordable price.

Dylos Corporation's DC1100 Air Quality Monitor is the first monitor on the market that has been developed and tested for consumer use. Up until now, the only particulate air quality monitors available for purchase were the extremely high priced units that were sold to hospitals, laboratories, clean room facilities, etc. The DC1100, on the other hand, was designed expressly to meet the needs of the home or office environment at an affordable price.


True Laser Particle Counter
Counts individual particles
Sizes small and large particles
Immediate response to changing environment
Up to 30 days of stored history data


The DC1100 Air Quality Monitor provides you with the necessary information for you to assess whether or not your indoor air is clean. It helps you stay proactive in the health of your family and if used in conjunction with the tips provided, you will be able to make sure that you are doing all that you can to keep the air your family breathes clean.

All you need to do is simply plug it in and turn it on. The DC1100 will configure itself to continuously count the airborne particles in your home. The DC1100 will let you know if the steps you are taking to improve your air quality are really working or not. The DC1100 will let the consumer know if an $800 air purifier works any better than a $200 one in their home. This will save the consumer money by taking the guesswork out of improving air quality. To assist the consumer in these efforts the DC1100 stores up to 30 days of air quality history for review.

Understanding Particulate Matter

Most people have no idea what particulate matter (PM) is, let alone, that there is such a thing as particle pollution. We might think that pollution is just "something that floats in the sky way above our head" or that it is far away because it can only been seen in the distance. This thinking is wrong, in fact, pollution surrounds us no matter where we are or what we’re doing. Even on a clear day it’s everywhere, in the atmosphere, at ground level, and yes, even in our homes. Particulate matter floats through the air and with every breath we take we breathe it in, and most of it isn't visible to the naked eye. Although so small as to be invisible, PM is the air pollution that most commonly affects people’s health.

Particle pollution is produced in a great number of ways that can be classified into either mechanical or chemical processes. The mechanical process of particle pollution involves the breaking down of bigger matter into smaller particles without the material changing, only becoming smaller. Agriculture, coal and oil combustions, dust storms and construction are some activities that produce many of the larger or coarse particles. The chemical process of particle formation can be from sources that burn fuel and emit gases. Here, the pollutant vaporizes and then condenses to become a particle of the same chemical compound. The small particles can further react or combine with other compounds in the atmosphere. A major source for particles formed this way are the burning of fossil fuels in industry, transportation, agriculture, etc.

Particles come in many, many shapes and sizes, and can be solid particles or liquid droplets. The size of particles is directly linked to their potential for causing heath problems. Traditionally, the environmental sciences have divided particles into two main groups and these two groups are different in many ways. PM10 is particles between 2.5 and 10 microns (micrometers) in diameter (a human hair is about 60 micron in diameter). PM2.5 is particles smaller than 2.5 microns. The PM10 and PM2.5 measurements you might have seen reported, by the EPA for example, refer to the total weight of the particle found. This is a holdover from when the available technology had difficulty detecting individual particles. More modern monitoring equipment, such as that used in clean room monitoring, count and size individual particles. The Dylos DC1100 is this more modern type of device and counts individual particles in two size ranges which will roughly correlate to PM2.5 and PM10.

There is more than size that is different in these types of particles. Each type of particle has different material compositions and can come from different places. The smaller the particle the longer it can remain suspended in the air before settling. PM2.5 can stay in the air from hours to weeks and travel very long distances because it is smaller and lighter. PM10 can stay in the air for minutes to hours and can travel shorter distances from hundreds of yards to many mile because it is larger and heavier.

When you inhale, you breathe in air along with any particles that are in the air. This breath of air, along with the particles, travel into your respiratory system, and along the way the particles can stick to the sides of the airway or travel much deeper into the lungs. Your lungs produce mucous to trap particles and there are also tiny hairs (called cilia) that move the mucous and particles out of the lungs. PM2.5 can get down into the deepest (alveolar) portions of the lungs when gas exchange occurs between the air and your blood stream. These are the most dangerous particles because the alveolar portion of the lungs has no efficient means of removing them and if the particles are water soluble, they can pass into the blood stream within minutes. If they are not water soluble, they remain in the alveolar portion of the lungs for a long time.

However, when the small particles go deeply into the lungs and become trapped this can result in lung disease, emphysema and/or lung cancer in some cases. Exercise and physical activity cause people to breather faster and more deeply and to take more particles into their lungs. The United States Environmental Protection Agency reported studies suggested small particles can leave the lung and travel through the blood to other organs, including the heart.

The main effects associated with exposure to particulate matter may include: premature mortality, aggravation of respiratory and cardiovascular disease (indicated by increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits, school absences, loss of work days, and restricted activity days) aggravated asthma, acute respiratory symptoms, chronic bronchitis, decreased lung function and increased myocardial infarction. Epidemiologic studies suggest that exposure to particulate matter may result in tens of thousands of excess deaths per year, and many more cases of illness among the US population.

People with heart or lung diseases such as coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at an increased risk, because particles aggravate these diseases. People with diabetes also may be at an increased risk, possibly because they are more likely to have underlying cardiovascular disease, and older people may be at greater risk due to undiagnosed heart or lung disease or diabetes. Infants and children are also at risk for several reasons, first their lungs are still developing and they have an increased level of activity and play. This is when they would be more likely to have asthma or acute respiratory disease, which is aggravated when particle levels are at their highest. It has also been suggested that high exposure to particle levels may attribute to low birth weights in infants, pre-term deliveries and possible fetal and infant deaths.

How Does Particulate Matter Effect Indoor Air Quality

We all realize that the air outside can be very unhealthy and polluted, but most people don’t know that the indoor air quality (IAQ) of their homes can be even worse. We all want to believe that our homes provide a clean and healthy environment for our families. A growing body of research, however, is pointing to very serious health consequences from both short term and long term exposure to particulate matter. This is generated both inside the house and brought in from outside. A problem occurs when homes are sealed from the outside air to increase heating or cooling efficiency as this allows build up of pollutants from inside the home such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), radon gas, etc. Some exchange of outside air is necessary and also inevitable no matter how well a home is sealed. So, the particulate matter found in a home's air will be a mix of particles from outside and those generated from within the home.

There are many varieties of particulate pollutants in our homes. Ones from outside include industrial sources, construction sites, combustion sources, pollen, and numerous others. Particles are also generated by all kinds of normal indoor activity ranging from cooking, walking across the carpet, your pets, or even just getting up off the sofa. Any movement or vibration can create airborne particles - even air moving over an apparently clean surface will pick up particles. Airborne allergens, mold spores, bacteria, and dust mite/insect feces are also present. A recent study by the Queensland Institute of Technology showed that even your trusty laser printer can be a high-level emitter of particulate matter. This is nowhere near a complete list of indoor particulate pollution, but what is truly disturbing is that many of these particles will lodge deep within the lung and remain there.

Radon gas has long been associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. The Radon itself is not actually that harmful, but it decays into radioactive daughter elements such as Polonium (the same element but different isotope was used to assassinate Russian dissident Litvinenko in London 2006). According to the definitive study on Radon, BEIR VI from the National Research Council, these daughter elements "are electrically charged and can attach themselves to tiny dust particles in indoor air. These dust particles can easily be inhaled into the lung and can adhere to the lining of the lung. The deposited atoms decay, or change, by emitting a type of radiation called alpha radiation, which has the potential to damage cells in the lung. Alpha radiations can disrupt DNA of these lung cells. This DNA damage has the potential to be one step in a chain of events that can lead to cancer." Using two different methods the report estimated 15,400 or 21,800 American lung cancer deaths occurred in 1995 due to exposure to Radon progeny.

If you live near a major roadway or busy street the particulate matter can be increased greatly by automobile and truck exhaust. A tremendous number of studies show a link between this particulate pollution and cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and cancer. Studies of adolescent children show particulate pollution can retard lung function growth similar to cigarette smoking with predictable consequences for lung health later in life. The effects come from both long term and short term exposure. Studies show in the short term mortality rates from a variety of causes rise on days with high particulate pollution. Even if you don’t seem to be affected by high concentrations of particulates, please understand that the earliest symptoms to some long-term health problems like respiratory illnesses, or cancer don’t appear perhaps for many years after the damaging exposure takes place.

Indoor pets, especially pets that spend part of their time outdoors can significantly contribute to poor IAQ. All furry pets shed no matter what kind they are and they also produce dander. Brushing and wiping paws before letting them inside will help. Weekly bathing will keep shedding to a minimum. Owners that permit their pets to sleep in bedrooms or on beds (where hair and dander might accumulate) will be increasing their exposure. Also, be aware that other uninvited guests in your home such as dust mites, other insects, or rodents will defecate inside. When their feces has dried up it will become dust-like and possibly airborne, circulating through your home. If this dust is inhaled it can make family members ill.

There is no simple answer to improving IAQ and there is no way to completely clean the air unless you’re planning on living in a bubble. There are steps that can be taken to ensure you are doing everything to make your home’s IAQ as clean as possible. One of the first things you can do is to monitor your IAQ daily and to review the output, then determine what changes can be made to improve IAQ based on the output. To find out more about our Air Quality Monitor, click on the link to the left.

Tough Questions about Air Purifier Efficiency
How can the DC1100 be used to improve my home air quality?

The Dylos DC1100 is a tool which gives you information about your indoor air quality. It is a Laser Particle Counter which counts and sizes the invisible particles polluting your home air. With this knowledge you can take intelligent steps to improve your indoor environment. Since the DC1100 gives you an actual count of particles you can adjust those steps to achieve the amount of cleanliness you desire. Quality air purifiers and air cleaners are expensive, but without a way of measuring the cleanliness of your air you cannot know how well they are working in your house.

My air purifier has a built in air quality monitor. Isn’t that good enough?

We have yet to see a decent quality monitor on either an air purifier or an air cleaner. They typically display air quality as only “good”, “clean”, 5 green LEDs or some other vague way which gives the user no real information. Our tests have shown that these inexpensive type air quality sensors are inaccurate, with a tendency to drift up and down. Furthermore, they have the major limitation of only measuring the air quality right at the air purifier or air cleaner. Of course that is where the air is going to be cleanest, but unless you have the air purifier strapped around your neck it is not the air you are breathing. Besides, does it make sense to trust your air purifier to tell you it’s doing a good job? So, these built in sensors are essentially a gimmick and worthless to anyone serious about improving their air quality.

How is the DC1100 better than my built in air quality sensor?

The DC1100 works on an entirely different technology than the inexpensive sensor built into your air purifier. The DC1100 is a true Laser Particle Counter that works on the same principles as the $8,000 particle counters used in pharmaceutical and semiconductor clean rooms. Those guys really do need to know how clean their air is and they don’t use sensors like the one on your air cleaner. Those cheap sensors usually have an LED and photodiode arranged at an angle so the photodiode will pick up any light scattered back off the particles in the air. This design is inexpensive, but suffers from very poor signal to noise ratio and can only detect light scattered off many particles in a volume of air. In contrast, the DC1100 uses a focused laser which results in a drastically higher signal to noise ratio. This means that air can be flowed through a focused laser beam and the DC1100 is actually sensitive enough to detect individual particles. With this ability the DC1100 cannot only count the particles, but it can also size them based on the amount of light they scatter. For convenience sake, the DC1100 displays two particle counts – small and large. The large particle count includes pollens, dust mite debris, insect feces, coarse dust, etc. The small particle count includes most bacteria, mold, fine dust, etc. The small particle count can range from many thousands down to zero so the home owner can measure his air quality with vastly greater resolution than is possible with 5 green LEDs.

Can the DC1100 tell me if my air purifier is working effectively?

Yes. With the DC1100 you will know the actual number of particles suspended in the air within the unit’s detection range. The numbers displayed are scaled to correspond to approximately what a 12 year old would inhale with each breath. If the counts drop from 600 to say 60 then you know that you have reduced the detected particulate pollution by 90%. How much a reduction you see corresponds to the effectiveness of your air purifiers and air cleaners.

If the manufacturer says the air cleaner will clean 1,000 square feet should I believe this?

Actually the preferred method of rating air purifiers is the CADR which is based on how fast the air cleaner or air purifier cleans the air in a sealed room. This is a useful rating for comparing one air cleaner to another. The problem with this concept is that we don’t live in sealed rooms. The truth is that you cannot predict how clean the air will be in your house based solely on the CADR. Nobody’s home is perfectly sealed, doors open and close, and particles are generated by virtually any activity within the house. So, the number of particles floating in your home air is the result of a constantly shifting balance between particles entering the home, being generated within the home, natural settling, and active removal by air cleaning devices.

Do high particle counts on the DC1100 mean that I am at increased risk for an asthma attack or other respiratory problem?

While a growing body of research has shown a direct link between increased levels of particulates and increases in asthma attacks, respiratory problems, and even acute cardiovascular events (see our Studies and Reports page) you should consult your physician with any concerns. The DC1100 is not a medical device and is not intended to be used in the treatment or mitigation of any disease.

How much reduction in particulate pollution is possible in the average home?

This is a tough question. We think 90% is easily obtainable with high quality air purifiers, air cleaners, filters, and good practice. This may not be enough and you may want to push the limit. Average counts in the 10 to 20 range on the DC1100 are possible. The air quality throughout the home will vary significantly, but we believe average readings in the 10 to 20 range are possible which, if the outdoor ambient is 500, results in a 96 to 98% reduction in particles within the detection range.

Frequently Asked Questions

The DC1100 Air Quality Monitor has been engineered to be simple to use and simple to read. However, below are some frequently asked questions that will make understanding and using our monitor even easier.

What do the two numbers mean?

These numbers represent the number of small(fine) and large(coarse) particles detected. They are a running average of the particles counted in the past 10 seconds. The number on the left is the small particle count and the number on the right is the large particle count. The numbers are approximately what a 12 year old would inhale in a single breath. The small particles can include fine dust, bacteria, mold, smoke, etc. (from approximately 1um and up). The large particles can include coarse dust, pollen, dust mite casings, etc. (from approximately 5um and up).

What does the graph mean?

The dynamic bar graph allows the user see an instant response to changing air quality. The graph is a simple and intuitive way to see large and small particles being counted. When the dynamic bar graph is short and does not extend out to the right, it means that small particles are being counted. When the dynamic bar graph is extended almost to the end, or completely to the end, it means that large particles are being counted. The DC1100 can count much faster than the bar graph can update so the graph really represents a summary of particles counted in the last 1/20th of a second.

Will one DC1100 Air Quality Monitor test all the air in my home at the same time?

No. Our monitor is light-weight and can easily be transferred to any room in your home. Let's say you have your the DC1100 in the kitchen during the day, but later that night you want to monitor the particle counts in the family room where everyone is. You simply unplug the monitor in one room and plug it in another. Our unit is reasonably priced making it affordable to purchase more than one unit.

Will the DC1100 Air Quality Monitor work in an office setting?

Yes. DC1100 Air Quality Monitor will work in your office. It has been designed to monitor office settings as well. Simply follow the same instructions for home use.

How do I read the history?

You access the history modes by using the mode and select buttons on the front of the monitor. There are three different histories provided, minute, hour and day. Minute history will give you an averaged particle count for each minute at a time, up to 60 minutes in the past. Hour history will give you an averaged particle count for each hour at a time, up to 24 hours in the past. Day history will give you an averaged particle count for each day at a time, up to 30 days in the past.

How does monitor mode work?

In monitor mode the unit sleeps and only comes on for 60 seconds every hour. A sampling of the air is taken and a count of large and small particles is saved to history. This mode is for people who do not want the unit to run continuously but would like to be able to look back in history to see what the counts have been over time.

Is there any maintenance required for my DC1100 Air Quality Monitor?

Only occasional cleaning, but it's so simple. All you do is use dust remover air (you can get this at any electronics store), spray it into the top vents on the back of the unit for about 10 seconds. That's all! This maintenance keeps the air moving freely so that the Air Quality Monitor will work as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Is there an email address that I can contact Dylos Corporation if I have any additional questions?

Yes, our tech support email address is support@dylosproducts.com

The Truth About Indoor Air Quality

The truth about indoor air quality is that most people don't know anything about the air they breathe in their homes. In the past decade an increasing number of studies are pointing to the same conclusion - that particulate matter is a serious health threat which can kill you in a variety of ways. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be any "safe" level of particulate pollution below which there are no health effects.

Dylos Corporation provides links below to just a few of the many studies and reports concerning health and particulate as well as other pollution Please read the articles and reports so that you may know the danger associated with poor air quality. The links that we provide are from the American Lung Association, Consumer Reports, the California Air Resources Board, Johns Hopkins University and the American Heart Association.

IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS

A report from the American Lung Association with help from The Environmental Protection Agency states "it has identified indoor air quality as one of the top five most urgent environmental risks to public health. This survey commissioned on behalf of the American Lung Association Health House program and 3M in April of 2002 found that many of those questioned were not aware of: (a) the potential dangers associated with poor indoor air; (b) steps to improve air quality in their homes." Five hundred forty homeowners nationwide responded to the survey. Please click the link at the bottom of the page and read the article to find out more information.

CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS, HEART AND STROKE DEATHS

As reported by the American Heart Association "until May of 2004, the American Heart Association had not issued any expert reviewed statement about the short-term and long-term effects of chronic exposure to different pollutants. This was due to flaws in research design and methodology of many pollution studies. During this last decade, however, epidemiological studies conducted worldwide have shown a consistent, increased risk for cardiovascular events, including heart and stroke deaths, in relation to short- and long-term exposure to present-day concentrations of pollution, especially particulate matter". Please click the link at the botton of the page and read the article to find out more information.

RISKS TO ASHTMA AND COPD SUFFERERS

According to an article by the American Lung Association - "Fine particles are easily inhaled deeply into the lungs where they can be absorbed into the bloodstream or remain embedded for long periods of time. A recent study showed a 17% increase in mortality risk in areas with higher concentrations of small particles." and "Particulate matter air pollution is especially harmful to people with lung disease such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Exposure to particulate air pollution can trigger asthma attacks and cause wheezing, coughing, and respiratory irritation in individuals with sensitive airways."

HEART FAILURE AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

A recent study from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Medicine indicates that "short-term exposure to fine particulate matter - the microscopic particles that pollute the air - increased hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory disease among Medicare participants." Their website states that these particles "come from a variety of sources, including coal burning power plants, factories, automobiles, tilled fields, stone crushing and burning of wood. Other particles may be formed in the air when sunlight and water vapor react with gases emitted from burning fuels". Please click the link at the bottom of the page and read the article to find out more information.

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

An article in the New England Journal of Medicine reports on a Women's Health Institute study which focuses on the risks associated with particle pollution and postmenopausal women with no history of cardiovascular health problems. The article speculates as to the mechanism by which particulate pollution causes damage - "There is evidence that inhalation of particulate air pollution creates and exacerbates both pulmonary and systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, leading to direct vascular injury, atherosclerosis, and autonomic dysfunction."

CLEANING PRODUCTS

In March 2007 California Environmental Protection Agency's Air Resources Board published a Fact Sheet and stated "the indoor use of certain common cleaning products and air fresheners can cause an increase in indoor concentrations of some gaseous and particle pollutants". Please click the link at the bottom of the page and read the article to find out more information.

IONIZING AIR PURIFIERS

A study on air purifiers recently released by Consumer Reports Magazine concentrates specifically on the popular ionizing type. Please click the link at the bottom of the page and read the article to find out more information. Also, see the link on Consumer Reports Magazine titled "Air Cleaners: The Truth Behind The Accolades."

POLLUTION DATA BY COUNTY

On the American Lung Association's website they provide a report called "State of the Air: 2007." Click on the link below and you can see the air quality of the state you live in, and if you further click on your county you will be able to see the ozone levels, levels of particle pollution and who is most at risk for compromise to their lungs because of the air we breathe. Please click the link at the bottom of the page and read the article to find out more information.

Tips from Dylos Corporation to help keep your home clean
We all have very busy lives and would rather not worry about air in our homes. A few simple steps, however, can make a dramatic difference in how healthy our air is. We say "healthy" rather than just clean because most of us can look around our homes and say that it looks clean. The rooms are straightened up and there's not a lot of unnecessary clutter around. To us this is clean, but with air it is what is unseen and floating in the air that can hurt you. Below are some tips to help make your home healthier.

The first thing that you need to do is purchase the Dylos Corporation's DC1100 Air Quality Monitor so that you can "see" these invisible particles floating in the air. When used properly the DC1100 will provide readings of both small(fine) and large(coarse) airborne particles. Once a baseline has been established, you will be able to tell when an appliance in your home (HVAC, vacuum, air cleaner, or any product using a filter) is not working effectively. The DC1100 will also help you determine when you need to change the air filters in your home as you will see the particle counts increase when they are dirty or clogged. You will also see an increase in the counts when there is excessive large or small particles in your home perhaps due to increased pollen, pet dander, dust mites or bacteria. You will be able to correlate any changes or actions you take with a change in air quality.

With the Dylos DC1100 you will be able to tailor your efforts to achieve the air quality you desire. You will see that your air quality varies greatly even in the course of a single day as activity changes, windows/doors are opened or closed, the air conditioning comes on or any number of other factors. You will also see that there are large differences even between rooms in a single home. Let's say a typical home reads anywhere from say 200 to 2000 or more on the DC1100 small channel with an average reading of 1000. If you can reduce this average reading to 100 then you air breathing 1/10th of the particles (in the DC1100 detection range) than before. Even greater improvement is possible, especially in a single room where you will be spending most of your time. How clean you get your air is up to you, but the DC1100 will give you the information to do it.

Our next recommendation is to make sure the filter in your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit is clean. Wash or replace the filter if they are dirty and clogged. If using replaceable filters make sure to change them often and check them frequently to make sure they stay clean. If using reusable filters make sure that they are cleaned according to the manufacturer's instructions. Both types of filters need to be checked frequently for any clogs. Be sure to select a filter which can effectively remove smaller sizes of particles.

You will probably also want to purchase an air purifier or air cleaner. Although we love air purifiers and cleaners you will soon discover with the DC1100 that they have their limitations and all are not created equal. Air purifier/cleaner placement is very important. The air within one or two feet is going to be pretty clean of course, but as you get farther away this clean air rapidly mixes with dirty air and so unless you are literally breathing right next to the air purifier/cleaner you are going to be breathing a mix of dirty and clean air. How dirty is going to be determined by a variety of factors. You might think that if you ran the air purifier continuously that eventually the whole house would become clean, but unfortunately this is not the case. New particulate pollution will constantly be entering from the outside through drafts, windows, and doors. Also, new particles will be generated by virtually any kind of activity in the house such as cooking, getting up off the sofa, or walking across the carpet. Even air movement itself will pick up particles off seemingly clean surfaces and cause then to become airborne. It may require multiple air purifier/cleaners and careful placement to achieve your air quality goals.

Some further tips ....

When dusting use microfiber towels and dusters as they attract dust and cause the dust to cling to the fibers instead of being moved around or dropped to the ground like conventional towels do.

Clean blinds weekly with microfiber dusters or run a lamb's wool duster across the blinds (sold at hardware stores) to get any dust sitting on top of the slats. For drapery, use the crevice tool attachment from your vacuum cleaner on the folds and pleats.

Vacuum your house frequently (preferably daily if you have heavy foot traffic and/or indoor animals). Do not forget to use an upholstery brush on your sofa and chairs, and remember to remove cushions and pillows, and clean these with the upholstery brush as well. To clean hard surface floors, use a vacuum made for hard surface floors. These vacuums suck up the dirt, there is no spindle to spit dirt out from under the vacuum cleaner.

Bathe pets often, or better yet, keep them outside. Animals have a lot of dirt and dander in their coats, especially if they are kept outside while you are away. If they do come indoors, brush their coats before letting them inside. Wash their bedding weekly and do not let them sleep on your beds. Dogs and cats, when shedding, can leave large quantities of hair and dander throughout your home and mites, ticks and fleas can lay their eggs in your carpet. This can be transferred to anyone in your home, especially small children or infants playing on your carpet or floors.

Wash bedding weekly with hot water to eliminate the possibility of dust mites living in your linens. Only use foam pillows and replace them every six months. It is recommended that feather bedding and pillows not be used. Use plastic zippered mattress covers for protection from dust mites and for those who have allergies.

American Allergy Supply Home Page

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08/24/2010