{"id":613,"date":"2019-07-27T15:35:41","date_gmt":"2019-07-27T15:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/householdrealestate.com\/?p=613"},"modified":"2019-07-27T15:35:41","modified_gmt":"2019-07-27T15:35:41","slug":"the-weird-but-totally-natural-way-you-can-kill-germs-in-your-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/householdrealestate.com\/a\/charliecook\/blog\/uncategorized\/the-weird-but-totally-natural-way-you-can-kill-germs-in-your-home\/","title":{"rendered":"The Weird but Totally Natural Way You Can Kill Germs in Your Home"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Stephanie Booth<\/a><\/span> |\u00a0Jul 25, 2019<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/header>\n
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PeopleImages\/iStock; realtor.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Think about this for a second: The average house collects a staggering 40\u00a0pounds<\/em>\u00a0of\u00a0dust<\/a>\u00a0each year. And let’s take a moment to remember\u00a0what makes up dust<\/a>: Pet dander. Dead skin cells. Dust mites. Insect droppings.<\/p>\n

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The surprising answer: Open your blinds.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

How sunshine fights germs<\/h2>\n

In a study published last year in the medical journal\u00a0Microbiome<\/a>, researchers at the University of Oregon described setting up a series of miniature (and very dusty) rooms. For 90 days, some of these dollhouse-size areas were kept in total darkness while others received UV light. Then, the dust was collected and the bacteria within it sampled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe found that household dust exposed to ordinary daylighting contained smaller loads of living bacteria, compared to dust bunnies experiencing darkness,\u201d explains\u00a0Ashkaan Fahimipour<\/strong>, the study\u2019s lead author and now a postdoctoral scholar in computer science at the University of California, Davis.<\/p>\n

The researchers also saw shifts in the types of bacteria living in those dust bunnies.<\/p>\n

\u201cBacterial communities from daylit dust resembled those found in outdoor air, in contrast to dust experiencing darkness, which more strongly resembled the microbiome of human skin,\u201d Fahimipour explains.<\/p>\n

While some of the germs we’re exposed to in our daily lives are harmless or even beneficial, others are potentially harmful.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich of these are being impacted by light exposure is still an open question,” Fahimipour says.<\/p>\n

That means it’s too early to say that sunshine definitively has sanitizing superpowers, but “based on our current understanding, I think we can say that ordinary daylighting has the potential to inactivate living bacteria,” Fahimipour says.<\/p>\n

It’s really not a stretch to believe that throwing open your drapes is good for you. Sun-loving scientists have already amassed plenty of research that supports the benefits of natural daylight. Read on for what sunlight can do for you.<\/p>\n

Sync your body clock<\/h2>\n

\u201cNatural light is a primary consideration for a healthy and happy home, because sunlight is a crucial modulator of our circadian rhythm, a cycle which encompasses brain wave activity and regulates hormone production, cell regeneration, hunger, and sleep cycles,\u201d explains\u00a0Nora Bouz<\/strong>, a well-being design consultant. “That in turn influences our mental, emotional, and physical health.”<\/p>\n

Our bodies are designed to be in sync with nature, Bouz points out.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wake up when the sun rises, reach our highest level of energy when the sun is at its highest point in the sky, and wind down and go to sleep when it’s dark,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Boost your mood<\/h2>\n

\u201cWhen we\u2019re exposed to sunlight, serotonin, one of the hormones responsible for our high energy and feeling good, is produced,\u201d Bouz says.<\/p>\n

You can think of\u00a0serotonin<\/a>\u00a0as your body\u2019s natural antidepressant. If your brain doesn’t make enough, you\u2019ll start to feel irritable and fatigued. In some people, this can lead to to seasonal affective disorder (appropriate acronym: SAD).<\/p>\n

Keep you healthy<\/h2>\n

Your body relies on natural sunlight to make vitamin D, which regulates over 1,000 different genes in your body. This form of vitamin D isn\u2019t really a vitamin, per se, so much as a hormone that may help prevent health issues ranging from osteoporosis and diabetes to heart disease and arthritis.<\/p>\n

Help you be more productive<\/h2>\n

Next time you have a ton of work to plow through, sit by a window. A typical sunny day has a “color temperature<\/a>” that’s been shown to increase alertness and efficiency. Natural daylight can also lessen\u00a0eye strain<\/a>, which may slow you down at your computer.<\/p>\n

Heal your skin<\/h2>\n

Blistering sunburn from hours in the sun? Obviously bad. Low levels of UV radiation\u2014like you get from light streaming through your window? Not bad at all. Research shows that a small amount of\u00a0sunlight<\/a>\u00a0triggers the release of a compound in your skin that quiets inflammation. That could be helpful if you have a skin condition like eczema.<\/p>\n

Save you money<\/h2>\n

“If you have sunlight illuminating your whole\u00a0house, why would you ever turn on the light?” points out\u00a0Brad Roberson<\/strong>, president of Glass Doctor, a Neighborly company.<\/p>\n

In a recent study to see how much natural light can save on\u00a0energy bills<\/a>, Roberson says, experimenters found that in addition to energy, they saved on cooling and heating. The total annual\u00a0savings<\/a>? 22%.<\/p>\n

If you do decide to let more light into your home, choose sliding glass doors with UV-blocking glass. Old windows can be replaced with insulated glass units, or IGUs.<\/p>\n

“IGUs prevent heat transfer from the summer sunshine, while also keeping cool\u00a0air from escaping outside,” Roberson explains.<\/p>\n

You’ll maintain your desired house temperature\u2014and you just might eradicate some germs and acquire a sunnier outlook.<\/p>\n

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