For those who suffer from allergies, indoor allergens can be a huge problem that drastically reduces your quality of life. Luckily, there are many methods and techniques you can use to ease your suffering from allergies when you are inside your home. Below is ten tips you can use to mitigate the spread of and eliminate allergens in your home.
Eliminate Dust
Dust is one of the most common allergens present in any home, particularly in bedrooms and living areas where objects don’t get moved around as often. To get rid of dust, make sure to thoroughly clean and scrub the more humid parts of the house regularly.
Clean up Animal Dander
If you have a dog or a cat in your home that sheds or leaves skin flakes around the house, make sure to clean these up. These pieces of fur and skin contain proteins that may trigger allergies in some individuals.
Exterminate Cockroaches
This may be a given, but cockroaches can cause many problems in your house. One lesser known issue cockroaches can cause is triggering allergies. This is due to protein found in their droppings, so if you have a cockroach infestation, it’s doubly important to exterminate them as soon as possible.
Mold
Besides ruining the facade of your home, mold can also cause allergies, especially in individuals susceptible to fungi. When having mold removed from your home, make sure that the spores are removed as well, as this can grow new mold and can trigger allergies.
Watch the Humidity Levels
If you use extensive amounts of heat or a furnace in your home, you may want to invest in humidifiers, especially in areas that get damp such as the basement. In fact, you should try to keep the humidity in your home under 50 percent, as the dry air can cause symptoms of allergies to trigger.
Use Hardwood, Linoleum, or Tile Floors
Carpets and rugs contract dust and other allergens quite easily, so if you are really suffering, it may make sense to invest in floors that are hard and easily cleanable. Make sure to dust these floors as well, or you will run into the same problems.
Clean Your Carpets
If you do keep carpets in the home, make sure to have them regularly cleaned to eliminate as much dust and other allergens as possible. This will be important to maintaining an allergen free home.
Cover and Wash Your Bedding
Your bed is somewhere where you spend a lot of time each night, so it is essential to make sure that it is covered and cleaned properly. Make sure to put a special allergen-proof mattress and pillow covers underneath the sheets and pillowcases that you already use. Also wash your bedding weekly in hot and dry water to remove all potential allergens.
Cover Your Food
Spoiled or rotten food can also cause serious allergy problems, such as a cockroach infestation. Make sure that everything edible in your house is covered or refrigerated properly to prevent this.
Purchase an Indoor Air Cleaner
If you’ve taken all of the above steps and you are still suffering from allergies in your home, you should invest in an indoor air cleaner. The most efficient type is called a high efficiency particle air (HEPA) machine, and it will eliminate any lurking allergens that are permeating the air in your home.
