Anyone who is afflicted by allergies knows how annoying and difficult dealing with them can be. Even indoors, allergens can be high. Instead of resigning yourself to your fate during allergy season, try these ways to make your home more allergy friendly.
Improve Ventilation
Surprisingly, indoor air can be filled with allergens and other air pollutants. Taking steps to improve the air quality in your home can decrease the amount of dust and other allergens floating around inside and aggravating your allergies. Installing fans throughout the house, including above the stove and in bathrooms, will filter out dirty, allergen-filled air from your home. Cleaning your vents frequently will also ensure the air coming into your home is clean and dust free.
Vacuum Weekly
Dust and debris from the air tends to settle onto your carpets and floors over time. To remove dust and dust mites from your home, vacuum at least once a week. Regularly vacuuming rids your home of these allergens, making it more pleasant for allergy-sufferers to spend time indoors. Make sure your vacuum is a high-quality one that actually sucks up the allergens rather than just send them back into the air.
Dust Your Furniture
Like floors, furniture also gets dusty quickly. Vacuum upholstered furniture such as couches and chairs, and regularly dust other commonly used furniture such as tables and countertops. A good dusting tool or cloth will pick up and eliminate the excess dust on your furniture. As an added bonus, the practice of frequently dusting furniture will keep your furniture clean and in good shape. Don’t forget to dust the often-forgotten places, such as ceiling fans and doorframes, every so often.
Wash Bedding Often
To fight allergens, you need to wash your bedding frequently. You spend about a third of each day in your bed, meaning dead skin and dust tend to collect there more quickly than in other places in your home. Consider adding a layer of protective, dust-proof bedding to your mattress and pillows, and wash your bedding in hot water weekly to rid it of allergens.
Manage Pet Allergens
Pet dander is another common source of indoor allergens. If you live with a pet but have a pet allergy, completely eliminating allergens may not be possible, but you can take steps to decrease them. Keep pet dander and hair to a minimum in your home by vacuuming frequently, and lessen the allergens your pets produce by bathing and brushing them regularly. And unless you want to have an allergic reaction every time you lie down, it’s wise to keep your pets out of the bedroom and off the furniture.
Using these ways to make your home more allergy friendly will help you manage your allergies indoors and make your home a safe refuge from outdoor, seasonal allergies.
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