Articles

BY MARILEE NELSON

Ideally, when you start to make changes to improve your home’s air quality, a heavy duty deep clean should be done. Basically, that means you will thoroughly clean every surface in your home from ceilings and walls to books, upholstered furniture, stuffed animals, toys, and any small items around the home. It can be overwhelming to think of facing perhaps years of accumulated dust, but the effort will be well worth it. A clean environment is always uplifting, but with this supercharged cleaning method you will reap life-changing benefits.  

This heavy-duty version should definitely be used if you suspect that your house has some type of serious contamination (unfortunately many homes do – testing can be done to verify) or if you just want to do a very thorough cleaning job. Don’t be surprised at the steps that are recommended, as it is serious business to contend with the chemicals that have been brought into the house on your shoes and have been used in the house for years. They incorporate into the walls, furnishings, and flooring, especially carpet. The process can be taken incrementally room-by-room and in workable steps over time (every room you conquer will make a difference) or it can be taken on with vigor. If you read this and it just seems like too much then see “A Basic Deep Clean” or if you want to get started without a lot of preparation see “Using Your HEPA Vacuum.” In this article, also note the importance of dust.

Important Note

Any time you clean there is the potential that chemicals will be released into the air and this can cause acute symptoms. That is the reason many people say that they don’t feel well after they have cleaned. This is especially true if there is a lot of contamination in the home and the right cleaning tools are not used. The materials and tools recommended and instructions below are designed to help protect the person who cleans as well as other occupants of the house. There is a specific order as well as particular techniques that should be followed to ensure safety. It is especially important to follow these steps if children or chronically ill people live in the home. 

Equipment and Supplies

(Read all procedures before commencing cleanup)

• Abatement Level HEPA vacuum – The HEPA vacuum is of critical importance because contaminants such as flame-retardants, pesticides, biocides, and plasticizers bind to dust particles.  Three Branches recommends the Nilfisk GM 80.
• Fans to Create Negative Pressure – see Containment Procedure below.
• Air Purifier – Optional – may not need
• Branch Basics - A plant based enzymatic formula that is human safe (which means it wouldn’t harm you if you drank it) made from foods that you normally eat everyday.  Branch Basics is a degreaser that breaks down hydrocarbons, chlorinated pesticides such as chlordane, and chemicals. It kills and disinfects viruses and bacteria - salmonella and e coli, etc.   
• Distilled Water – Use distilled water for washing down walls and ceilings if water supply has a high mineral content that would affect paint. Many people do not need to use distilled water as using water from home water supply does not discolor the wall.  Test home water supply on area of wall to determine if spotting occurs.
• BOC (Biological Odor Control) – by Medina (Contact Stewart Franke – 888-249-1124 to order by phone if needed.) BOC is odorless, colorless and looks exactly like water. BOC neutralizes hydrocarbons, certain pesticides and other chemicals. BOC is made up of algae (biological base of all their products).
• Clean soft cloths - Use as many as necessary per the procedure below according to size and number of rooms. Include enough cloths for use using an 8-sided cloth wipe down procedure. Get 48 Terry Utility Towels for $13.00 from Costco or Home Depot. Wal-Mart also carries these towels in a smaller size.   

Note: Do not use sponges for cleaning any part of the home. Most sponges in the U.S. are impregnated with a synthetic disinfectant – usually Triclosan, which has been registered as a pesticide with the EPA and has been shown to cause cancer and growth problems in children.

LET’S GET STARTED WITH PRELIMINARY PROCEDURES!

Step 1 – If you haven’t already implemented “Reducing Immune Stress: Where Do I Start?” then this is a good time. This is of paramount importance and implementation of it will immediately improve the air quality in your home greatly. I have had numerous clients with asthma clean up their environment as described in that article and their symptoms either went away or were greatly reduced. In addition, clients with a long-term history of migraines and headaches have been freed from that misery, depression has lifted, sinus congestion has cleared, etc. (Note: We were also working on dietary changes as well.)

Step 2 – Go through each room and gather up anything you don’t use including clothes that you don’t wear anymore. Either throw away or give to charity.

Step 3 – Take the cleanup room by room. If you have a multiple story home, start on the top floor and go room by room. If there is a common area on the floor, start with that. After you finish one floor, go down to the next floor and so on until the basement, if you have one. That would be the last level you will clean.

Step 4 – Test cleaning solution on surfaces. Before you start in a room you want to make sure that the cleaning solution will not damage the surface. It is very important that you take a small portion of the surface and apply agent to see if streaking or any other undesirable outcome results. Wipe an area in the most inconspicuous area possible. Let it dry, stand back and see if there is any problem. This is normally not an issue, but do not skip this step. See Preparing and Testing Cleaning Solutions below.

Step 5 – Setting up containment. See Containment Procedure below

Preparing and Testing Cleaning Solutions

For this deep clean, Branch Basics is chosen because of its versatility. You will need to make two solutions of Branch Basics: ½ t. Branch Basics per gallon of water and 5 parts water to 1 part Branch Basics. It helps to put this in a spray bottle. Test sample area for compatibility with solution.

Important Note: Do not use Branch Basics on any manufactured wood products, plywood, or OSB. The Branch Basics will draw out the formaldehyde.

Walls and Ceilings

• Use a very dilute solution of Branch Basics on the ceilings and the walls. Use ½ teaspoon Branch Basics per gallon of water (use distilled water if needed) on walls and ceiling. Test the solution on a small inconspicuous area of a wall.  Dip the cleaning cloth in the Branch Basics solution, clean and wipe the surface. This is done to determine if paint will stand up to the solution. 
• Test on all surfaces to which solution will be applied. All colors of paints should be tested. There is usually no problem with the Branch Basics, but it is always important to test each surface.

Floors

• Test wood floors with the same very dilute solution used on walls and ceiling.
• No need to test solution on glazed ceramic tile. Use Branch Basics 5 parts water to 1 part Branch Basics.  No need for distilled water on ceramic tile.
• No need to test solution on vinyl/linoleum floors. Use Branch Basics 5 parts water to 1 part Branch Basics. No need for distilled water on vinyl/linoleum floors.
• Carpet – see “Carpet Cleaning, Encapsulation, and Sealing.”

Other materials

• Test solutions on all materials to be cleaned
• On all solid non-porous materials wipe down using a Branch Basics 5 parts water to 1 part water solution. 

Containment Procedure

The following procedure allows for the isolation of a space in order to prevent cross contamination between rooms. When a home is being deep cleaned, contaminated dust, semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC’s), and volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) are generated as the result of the clean-up procedures. There are precautions to take that prevent the spreading of contaminants throughout the home and also in the air supply system. It is important to follow the instructions below in order not to contaminate or further contaminate the HVAC system and rooms that are not involved. Please note, however, the steps taken will need to be adjusted to suit particular circumstances.

Materials

 Vapor Barrier Options:

• Reynolds Wrap Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil 1 ml thick– used for some applications such as covering HVAC grilles, etc. if desired.
• Denny Foil  - available from Foust 1-800-225-9549 – used for some applications such as covering doorways.
• Tu-Tuff 3 - from Stocate 262.279-6000 (has 4 feet wide rolls) or Shelter Supply 1-800-762-8399. Use for covering doorways or larger containment areas. Tu-Tuff 3 is a vapor barrier that doesn’t have the plasticizers (endocrine disruptors) that typical 6 ml. vapor barriers contain.  It is well tolerated by the chemically sensitive if they will be present in the home with the vapor barrier in place. 

Tape Options:

• Duct Tape
• Masking Tape
• Shurtape Aluminum Foil Tape - available in 2 and 3 inch width from Foust 1-800-225-9549.   
• Clean Release Painter’s Tape – (only available in 3 inch width) by Henkel Consumer Adhesives – 1-800-321-1733 www.duckproducts.com. Available from Wal-Mart or True Value Hardware. This same tape is also called Pro Painters Plus at Lowe’s. Do not get the 3-M Safe Release Tape #2090 that Home Depot sells, as this tape is toxic. 

Note:  If applicable, test tape in an inconspicuous area to make sure that it doesn’t pull paint off the wall. 

Setting Up Containment

Do the following procedure before starting decontamination deep cleaning:

• Turn off the HVAC system (Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning System). The system should be off while procedure is being done.
• Cover all air returns, supplies, and grilles in the room that you are cleaning. Use Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil to cover the air system.
• Secure the vapor barrier over the air returns and grilles with tape to keep dust and/or fumes out of HVAC system. Tape completely around perimeter of the vapor barrier so that no dust or fumes can penetrate. If using duct tape or aluminum foil tape, try to tape vapor barrier to metal of return or grille to avoid the chance of pulling paint off when removing tape.
• Isolate room being cleaned. Put vapor barrier of tape, Tu Tuff 3, or Denny Foil over OUTSIDE of doors to all rooms on the floor that is not being cleaned first. Be sure that the entire perimeter is fully taped so that no dust or fumes can penetrate barrier. Or you can cut Heavy Duty Reynolds Wrap and cut strips to cover the perimeter of the door including the floor (entire door opening around the edges where air could penetrate should be covered.) Be careful with tape and paint. Tape first with painter’s tape then cover painter’s tape with aluminum foil tape to make a vapor barrier that can’t be penetrated.
• If in a multiple story home, start on the top floor and work your way down down. If there is a common room or hall that the rooms open up into, clean this area first. Put a vapor barrier of tape, Tu Tuff 3, Denny Foil, or Heavy Duty Reynolds Wrap, as described above, over the doors that open up into the common area.
• Take equipment into room being cleaned – HEPA vacuum and cleaning solutions.
• A negative pressure in the room being cleaned should be maintained by the use of an exhaust fan in window if possible. (Fan options are listed below.) Fan must be pointing to the outside to draw air from inside the house to the outside. Open other windows in area not being cleaned. For instance if working in the one room, place fan (such as the Honeywell fan or box fan below) in a window in that room and open the windows in other rooms not being cleaned. The fan will draw the air out of the room that is being cleaned and will help keep the outgassing and particulates from going to other rooms in the house. In other words, do not put fans in the windows of your other rooms as this will draw the outgassing and particulates from the chemicals liberated during a deep clean throughout those rooms. Direct all air out of the window of the room being cleaned – not through other rooms.  Also, after finishing for the day, place a fan that will blow air across the room where cleaning has occurred in order to increase air circulation in the room. This will increase the rate of clearing released chemicals. (Note: Bed Bath and Beyond carries Vornado Fans 1-800-462-3966 (Bed Bath and Beyond) which are very powerful for the price. Leave on all night long to facilitate drying out and or use fan of own choosing.)
• If there are no windows in the room, then use an air purifier inside the room while cleaning if possible.
• When inside the room you are ready to clean, put a vapor barrier of tape, Tu Tuff 3, Denny Foil, or Heavy Duty Reynolds Wrap over the INSIDE of door. Follow the same guidelines as used for the outside of the other doors to ensure that the entire perimeter is fully taped so no dust or fumes can exit the room.
• When you finish a room, place a barrier on the outside of the door to protect the cleaned room until other rooms on the floor are completed.

Fan Options

• Box Fan – This is the least expensive option. Use a box fan in window of room being cleaned. Cut cardboard to fit in the open space of window not occupied by the box fan. Tape cardboard to window and fan to cover opening that is not covered by the box fan. This way air is only being drawn out through the fan.
• Honeywell Window Fans (Honeywell HW628 Window Mount Fan) fits in windows and can be used to create a negative pressure in the room being cleaned. 
• Twin Window Fan with Accutemp Digital Control by Holmes 1-800-546-5637. Holmes offers over 15 models. Holmes window fans come available in three distinct styles; Twin, Streamline, and Power. Window fans offer a space-saving option and can conveniently draw in fresh cool air from outside or blow warm air out from within. The window fans are available with a range of features and innovations and come with slider-safe panels that allow the fan to fit virtually any window.

Heavy Duty Cleaning Procedure

Step 1: Clean the Carpet

• If you have carpet see “Carpet Cleaning, Encapsulation, and Sealing”

Step 2: HEPA Vacuum

• Starting with ceiling and moving down to walls and floors, HEPA vacuum all horizontal and vertical surfaces using careful, overlapping strokes by 30%.
•  HEPA vacuum all personal items and furnishings, including all soft goods and draperies. Go slowly and thoroughly and do not skip over any areas or items, no matter how small.
• HEPA vacuum all books – all sides.
• Upholstered furniture like the couch is a magnet for dust and dirt. Vacuum the surfaces of your upholstery. Pull the cushions off and clean under the cushions. It is also good to take cushions outside and beat the dust out of them. 

Step 3: Branch Basics Wipe Down

• After testing all surfaces, use Branch Basics solution (1/2 teaspoon to one gallon of distilled water if necessary.)
• Thoroughly wipe all horizontal and vertical hard surfaces, starting with ceiling, then walls, then floors. Use clean cloths folded into 8 sections or sides that are dampened with Branch Basics solution. Wipe down all surfaces using one stroke per wipe - overlap strokes by 30%. Do not reuse cloths after last side is used.
• Do not skip over any areas or items no matter how small. All wiping movements should, like the vacuuming, be done with parallel and overlapping passes.  

Step 4:  – BOC Treatment

• After room is completed and air purifier or exhaust fan is turned off, close windows and mist the air in the room with undiluted BOC. Use a spray bottle or a pump sprayer to apply.
• Spray BOC into the air to let it fall on all surfaces to neutralize any remaining chemicals in the air. 
• Let BOC sit for 30 minutes in closed room.
• After 30 minutes open up windows and turn on exhaust fans in room to circulate the air until fully cleared.

Step 5:  Ventilate

• Ventilate area completely. Use fans and air out until clear. 

Step 6: Containment on Completed Rooms

• When treatment is completed in a room, put vapor barrier of tape, Tu Tuff 3, Denny Foil, or Heavy Duty Reynolds Wrap over the outside of the door to the room that has just been cleaned. Follow the procedure given above in Setting Up Containment.
• When all rooms are complete, the barriers can come down.