Let's open the windows! The sun kills the bacteria in the dust. Science confirms this

Letting plenty of sunlight into your home, even if it filters through glass, could significantly reduce bacterial levels.

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

Letting the sun in through the window would kill the bacteria contained in house dust. Popular wisdom confirmed by US research.

Let the sun enter your homes, the greenest and cheapest way to eliminate bacteria! This is the exhortation that comes from some American researchers, who analyze the good old habit of our grandmothers of throwing open balconies and windows and filling the rooms with some healthy rays of sunshine.

According to University of Oregon scholars, a lot of sunlight in the home, even if filtered through glass, could in fact significantly reduce the levels of bacteria that thrive in the dark. In addition, the findings suggest that letting light into our homes is also helpful in combating problems such as poor air quality, infections and respiratory diseases.

The new study found that about 12% of the bacteria examined, on average, were able to reproduce in dark rooms, compared to 6,8% in sunlit rooms and 6,1% in rooms exposed to sunlight. UV rays.

“When we design buildings, we should then consider and understand how the microbiome [the mix of bacteria] can be selected,” explains Ashkaan Fahimipour, a researcher in biology and environment at the University of Oregon.

A systematic review

To conduct their analysis, the scholars had several dollhouses built and filled them with a mix of dust collected from local Oregon homes. The houses were then exposed to darkness, UV light and sun for 90 days, the amount of time dust can stick to the house, even if you vacuum regularly.

After ninety days, the researchers took some dust samples to study the bacteria present. The result confirmed that opening the windows and letting in sunlight is the healthiest and cheapest way to kill bacteria.

In fact, the results showed that the rooms exposed to sunlight, even through closed windows, had only half the living bacteria that dark rooms had, and that the rooms bathed in the sun killed as many bacteria in UV light, a well-known disinfectant.

It was found that 12% of the bacteria in the unlit rooms were alive after 90 days compared to 6,8% of the germs in the lighted rooms and 6,1% in the UV rooms.

Not a few differences, if we also consider the rest: it is well known that in closed and less airy environments, for example, they can easily be triggered in predisposed subjects allergies complete with rhinitis, conjunctivitis and asthma attacks. As well as colonies of mites they form above all where the sun does not shine and dust accumulates. Not to mention, then, the closed windows and the radiators turned on, real invitations to the bacterial world ...

How to prevent idoor pollution:

Sun and more, then! The one at home can be a real "pollution", That it is possible to prevent some simple rules:

before seasonal lighting, clean all the heaters in the house
clean the filters of the split air conditioners
line mattresses and pillows with anti-mite covers and do a regular cleaning of the mattresses. Here's how to clean the mattresses
limit the presence of carpets, duvets, upholstered armchairs, soft toys to a minimum
ventilate constantly even if it is cold outside
use a vacuum cleaner equipped with patented filters
remove dust regularly, just a damp cloth
always wash your hands
expose pillows and blankets to air and sunlight
place the plants most suitable for purifying the air in the house here and there