As the winter season ends, Spring is a necessary refresh and a chance to prioritize seasonal cleaning tasks. Whether you’re cleaning spaces that don’t get regular attention, like window sills and cabinets, sprucing up your backyard after a long winter of rain and snow, or organizing spaces like your junk drawer and closets for optimal storage, you may be surprised by the decibel levels of some of the most commonly used cleaning tools. It’s important to protect your ears while completing some of these tasks, and we’re making it easy to identify those tasks that may require hearing protection.
Power Washer
Power washers are handy for deep cleaning tough outside areas of your home, like your deck, lawn furniture, house exterior, and pavement. Power washers have varying decibel levels but usually register between 80 - 100 dB. The CDC recommends hearing protection for sustained noise above 85 dB, and power washing definitely fits the bill. Depending on the task, this project can take upwards of an hour or two to complete, making hearing protection necessary to prevent irreversible damage. ISOtunes offers a variety of sweat, dust, and water-resistant products so you can confidently protect your hearing without worrying about water damage.
Wet/dry vacuum
This tool has been around for a while but has received innovative upgrades in the past few years. The wet/dry vacuum, sometimes called a ‘Shop Vac,’ has typically been used in garages and outdoor spaces to clean up sawdust, leaves, and debris. There are now wet/dry vacuums on the market that are meant for inside use to quickly vacuum and mop your home in one sweep. This type of vacuum utilizes more power to effectively mop and vacuum simultaneously, creating a louder noise from the machine. Wet/dry vacuums can reach noise levels of up to 78 - 90 dB, and if you plan to clean your entire house (or even just one floor!), this somewhat mundane noise can quickly cause damage to your hearing over time.
Drill
When you’re ready to hang up some new shelves (possibly to house your ISOtunes products!), you'll be reaching for your trusty drill. There are various types of drills, and all have different decibel levels, but most register somewhere between 98 - 119 dB. A standard drill will register at the lower end of this range, but specialty drills, like a hammer drill used on concrete, stone, and brick, can register at 119 dB. All ISOtunes products, such as AIR DEFENDER and FREE 2.0, have noise reduction ratings (NRR) and are made with SafeMax™ technology to limit volume output to a safe 85 dB.
Leaf blower
Whether or not you have trees on your property, leaves are bound to appear throughout fall and winter. When spring rolls around, the quickest and easiest way to get all those pesky leaves into one spot is with a leaf blower. Leaf blowers register at 70 - 90 dB, depending on the type of blower. Electric leaf blowers will register on the lower end of this spectrum, whereas gas-powered leaf blowers will be in the higher range. With the newest earmuff offering from ISOtunes, AIR DEFENDER AM/FM, you can protect your hearing while rocking out to your favorite radio station and those leaves will be in piles in no time!
Carpet cleaner
To truly deep clean your carpets, a carpet cleaner is the tool to go for. Carpet cleaners can be rented or purchased from stores like Lowes, Target, Home Depot, or online retailers. They powerfully flush out stains, smells, and anything else that might be plaguing your carpets. With this power comes high noise levels; carpet cleaners can have decibel levels from 70 - 90 dB. This noise can be overwhelming and damaging, especially if you are in a small space. ISOtunes classic earplugs, LITE, offer Bluetooth 5.0 connection so you can blast some tunes while cleaning and block out noise even more effectively with ISOtunes exclusive TRILOGY™ Universal eartips.
Vacuum
And finally, the most basic must-have for any cleaning battle: the vacuum. Whether you need to clean up some crushed cereal in the kitchen or get the never-ending barrage of pet hair out of your carpets, a vacuum is the tool for you. Vacuums can reach noise levels of 70 - 85 dB, and vacuuming the whole house can expose you to damaging noise for hours.
Did any of the tools’ decibel levels surprise you? Amid spring cleaning season, it’s important to protect your hearing, even when completing mundane tasks. For more information, check out our full lineup of hearing protection products.
