Here's something easy you can do to keep your family healthy. And it might also boost your mood . . .
A study at the University of Oregon found that opening your shades in the morning and letting some sunlight in can kill HALF of the bacteria trapped in household dust.
Researchers found about 12% of the bacteria floating around in a darkened room is able to reproduce. But with the shades open, reproduction drops to about 6%.
A lot of the bacteria it kills is linked to certain respiratory diseases. So it might be even more important to open your blinds during flu season.
They still need to do more research to see how much it affects things like colds. But based on the findings, they say it definitely can't hurt to let a little more light in.
And the added bonus is the extra sunlight can give you a boost in vitamin D, and help you avoid seasonal affective disorder.
(ABC News / Daily Mail)
Photo: Getty Images