How to combat some of the health risks that might be lurking in your house
Mould
This fungus often appears where there is damp, condensation and a lack of ventilation, such as on windows, walls and behind cupboards. Not only do black walls and grouting look horrible, they’re also a threat to health, exacerbating asthma and causing bronchitis and other breathing problems, plus eye, nose and throat irritation. Leave windows open whenever possible, especially in bathrooms, where an extractor fan will also help. Ideally, dry clothes outdoors. Keep buildings and gutters maintained and tackle leaks promptly.
Rats and mice
Rodents carry a host of bacteria and viruses. These include salmonella, the respiratory infection hantavirus (which you can catch by breathing in dust from droppings) and LCMV, a kind of meningitis. They’re not common, but who wants to live in a home contaminated with rat or mice poo or urine anyway? Discourage rodents by keeping surfaces free from food, cleaning regularly and blocking any possible access points. Put down traps as soon as you see signs of activity—droppings are a giveaway.
Bedbugs
A plague of these gross insects caused a frenzy in France last year, thanks to warm weather and more people travelling. These little creatures leave red, itchy lumps when they feed off you in the night. Other tell-tale signs are bugs in the tags, seams or piping of your mattress and brown spots—bedbug droppings—on your bedding. Bedbugs can sometimes be found in clothes, curtains and carpets too. Wash anything you can that’s affected on a hot wash, vacuum your bed and the area around it every day, and keep a closed, plastic cover on your mattress for a year.
Carbon monoxide
Fires, woodburners, gas boilers and cookers can produce invisible, odourless but lethal carbon monoxide if they are faulty, badly installed or poorly maintained. Symptoms to be alert to include headache, feeling sick or wea
