Removing Allergens from Your Home
You clean, you vacuum, and you have all the filters available. Yet still, the answer to the question will probably be “not very safe”. At least 35.9 million people in the United States have seasonal allergic rhinitis, More than 50 million Americans have allergies and 20 million have asthma. There are over 200 allergens in an average household. There are ways to minimize your risk of an allergic outbreak however.
Attics, Basements, and Crawlspaces
Mold is the key culprit here. Whenever there are books and clothes and boxes of things that just sit for prolonged periods of time, you’re going to have dust and mold settle. Best scenario: keep it well ventilated to reduce the number of spores.
Bedrooms and Nurseries
Dust mites will live in bedding, carpeting, furniture, and pets. The best bet is to keep your hamper outside of your bedroom so that the pollen and allergens you bring into the house aren’t where you sleep. Keep the pets outside your bedroom as well to cut down on dander collection.
Play plush animals and some other toys can trigger skin allergens. Wash all plush, sheets, pillows, etc with an allergen detergent at least once a week, in very hot water to kill the mites.
Kitchen
Trash should be sealed to prevent mold and allergens from cockroaches. Clean everything from one foot to the floor down with bleach based or ammonia based cleaning solution. This will help kill the bacteria, mold, and dander that will collect on things like the drip pan in your fridge. Your kitchen should be free of carpet or rugs to diminish collection of pollen and other allergens from shoes.
Den and Living Area
Vacuum frequently and scrub the baseboards at least once a week. There have been studies where sofas have had pet dander even in houses with no pets. So make sure that you vacuum all the furniture and the draperies. You never know what you are bringing into the house. Wash windows with a mild detergent in hot water, especially in hot humid months. Keep a humidifier on.
Bathroom
Wash all tiles and floors, windows, and the often overlooked ceiling heater fan. Showers can be sprayed weekly with bleach so as to kill mold growth. Try hypoallergenic cosmetics and deodorants. Most outbreaks come from common everyday items that we would not suspect as an allergen.
No matter how clean you think your home is, it is probably growing mold, dust mites, spores, or some type of dander as we speak. Most people will not remember to wash everything at every time. These websites can help you realize what allergies are, what they can do to help relieve their symptoms, and get information to help them live their lives sneeze-free.
American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology
http://www.aaaai.org
AllAllergy
http://allallergy.net
Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America
http://www.aafa.org
Pollen.com
http://www,pollen.org
