House Cleaners' Guide to COVID-19

Home Owner's Guide to COVID-19

"Proper deep-cleaning of our homes right now will increase our Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and is something that every American should do immediately. This could potentially save tens of thousands of American lives over the next 18 months."  - Grace Reynolds, President of the AHCA - American House Cleaners Association.

Recent coronavirus studies indicate that living in communities with lower air quality increases the number of hospitalizations and mortality rates from the novel coronavirus COVID-19, across the United States and the world.  

According to a study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, areas with higher levels of air pollution will have an increased death rate of 15% from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).  The study suggests that counties with higher air pollution levels, "Will be the ones that have higher numbers of hospitalizations, higher numbers of deaths, and where many of the resources should be concentrated," said senior study author,  Dr. Francesca Dominici, Clarence James Gamble Professor of Biostatistics, Population, and Data Science at Harvard Chan School, in this April 7, 2020 New York Times article.

As of today, April 17, 2020, studies have only considered the impact of outdoor air quality linked to higher coronavirus death rates. 

It is a fact that indoor air pollutant levels tend to be much higher than outdoor air pollutant levels.  

Americans typically spend about 90% of their lives indoors, where indoor air pollution levels are often 2-5 times higher than outdoor levels, according to studies published here by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).   

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recommends proper and regular sanitization of homes at all times, to reduce the number of harmful particles and organic materials which directly impact the quality of air in our homes. The most common indoor air pollutants can only be effectively addressed and eliminated with proper debris removal and sanitization methods.  Dust, dust-mites, dander, dirt, microbial growth (fungal, mold, and bacterial), insects, roach feces, human & animal urine residue, and human & animal fecal matter are only some of the common pollutants found in American homes that require regular and proper cleaning methods to effectively increase indoor air quality, according to the CDC published here. 

It is crucial that American homes are properly cleaned and sanitized regularly in order to maintain healthier indoor air quality which will decrease the hospitalizations and mortality rates from the COVID-19 disease.

C-19 is an infection that typically attacks (our lungs) the respiratory system and may potentially develop into a severe viral pneumonia, a life-threatening respiratory illness. Unprepared Americans, specifically the elderly and medically fragile, will experience an exacerbation of symptoms in homes with lower indoor air quality.  

According to the American Lung Association (ALA), published here, "Poor indoor air quality can cause or contribute to the development of infections by a greater likelihood of transmission through the air and exacerbation of symptoms once a disease or illness of the lungs develops."

Thank you for helping us alert our communities and reach all Americans with this important message from the American House Cleaners Association: Proper deep cleaning, along with regular cleaning & sanitizing of your home, will increase your indoor air quality and protect you and your family during this time.