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BREATHE continued from page 1 Air suspends particles. Most airborne particles are harmless. However, others can cause problems, particularly for those with asthma, allergies or immune disorders. There are four keys to keep- ing your indoor air clean and healthy: exclude, capture, clean and control. Exclude – keep contaminants out. Keeping contaminants out of the home can be challenging because most airborne particles are tiny and can be everywhere. Pollen, carbon, mold spores, organic matter, insect matter, pollution, and plain old dirt enter the home, transported on air currents, clothing and shoes. By keeping doors and windows closed, removing shoes when entering and immediately chang- ing your clothing after dusty activities like yard work, you can reduce the entry of pollutants. There are other contaminants that originate from within the home. Pet and human dander, food particles, dust mites, cooking gases, sprays, chemi- cals, cleaning agents and many other particulates combine to reduce overall indoor air quality. That’s why exclusion is only part of the solution. Capture – filter and contain that which enters. When airborne particles enter your home, they remain suspend- ed for a period of time. Those that are larger or denser drop out of the air and settle on surfaces. Smaller, lighter parti- cles remain suspended longer, and are best removed by air filtration devices and the filter on your home’s HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-condition- ing) system. Use high quality pleated filters designed for your HVAC. Clean – remove pollutants from surfaces. Eventually, particles settle on surfaces such as floors, furniture, count- ers, windowsills, shelves and walls. Vacuuming and dusting remove most of the particles, but make sure that your vacuum cleaner has good filtration also. Hard surfaces can be cleaned with electrostatic dusters or dust cloths that attract and hold particles, or by wiping hard surfaces with a damp cloth and wet mopping floors. Other surfaces such as carpet, area rugs and uphol- stery will require periodic professional cleaning to remove accumulated soils and pollutants. Control – maintain equipment, humidity levels and filters. Proper maintenance is important. Ensure your vacuum, HVAC system, range hood, bathroom exhaust fans and so forth are working optimally. Clean or replace filters regularly. Speaking of filters, carpeting is the largest air filter in most homes because of it’s capacity to capture and hold large amounts of soils and pollutants. Keeping your carpet and upholstery clean is one of the best ways to clear the air in your home. Call Service First Restoration for more information or to schedule your next service. The Good Life Warm Berry Compote Directions Cook frozen berries with orange juice in your slow cooker for a yummy dessert by itself or over ice cream. Ingredients 6 cups frozen mixed berries Good Clean Funnies If you get cold, stand in the corner of a room for a while. They’re usually 90 degrees. What do you call two monkeys that share an Amazon account? Prime mates. 1/2 cup white sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated or- ange zest 1/4 cup orange juice 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons water Stir together berries, sugar, zest, and juice in a slow cooker. Cook on High until bubbling, about 1 1/2 hours. Stir together cornstarch and wa- ter in a cup until fully dissolved. Stir into berry mixture. Cook, covered, until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes more. Serve warm or room tempera- ture. Delicious by itself or served as a topping on desserts such as ice cream, angel food cake or as a crisp. Recipe courtesy allrecipes.com [phone] [email protected]