How to Safeguard Your Home Against Allergens

Do you feel healthier when you're outside? Is the air in your house stuffy or stale? Newer houses can be built so airtight that allergens such as pollen, dust mites, mold, and pet hair and dander get trapped inside. The situation actually endangers some people's health. Follow these steps and you'll be breathing easier in no time.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Learn which allergens you're sensitive to, and focus your energy on them. Some advice can be contradictory: For example, mold sufferers should open windows when humidity is low, but that may introduce pollen that aggravates other allergies.
2. Remove wall-to-wall carpeting from your home. Having smooth floors, such as hardwood, tile, vinyl, linoleum or concrete, will help minimize allergens. Don't steam-clean any remaining rugs or carpet--wet padding promotes mold growth.
3. Vacuum regularly. Your vacuum cleaner should have a highefficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter and bags that seal in dust.
4. Dehumidify the air in your home to between 35 and 40 percent (dust mites and mold prefer over 50 percent humidity). When the air is too dry, however, it can become difficult for some people to breathe, so use a small dehumidifier to remove excess moisture from closets, cabinets and other small, enclosed spaces. Monitor humidity levels with a hygrometer. See 89 Organize the Basement.
5. Clean the ducts in the HVAC (heating/ventilating/air-conditioning) system, and install a high-efficiency low-pressure air (HELPA) filter on the system. Cover vents with filter cloths to filter the air.
6. Make your home a shoe-free zone to reduce tracked-in allergens.
7. Place a HEPA filter in your bedroom.
8. Shower before you go to bed to remove allergens from your hair. Make sure to run the bathroom exhaust fan during and after your shower, or at least until the mirror clears.
9. Wash your sheets each week in hot water--at least 130 degrees F (54 C)--to kill dust mites. Set your dryer on a high temperature setting for bedding.
10. Put allergen-protective covers on mattresses, box springs and pillows. Seal the zippers on these covers with tape.
11. Clean your refrigerator drip pan every month--it's a breeding pool for mold. See 66 Organize Spring Cleaning.

Tips & Warnings

• Focus your antiallergen work first on the rooms where you spend the majority of your time. For most people, that's the bedroom.
• Remove your dry cleaning from its plastic bag and air out the clothes for a few hours before bringing them in the house.
• Adopt a low-allergen pet, such as a poodle, bichon frise', basenji and some terriers, and sphinx or rex cats. Wash your pet weekly with dander-reducing shampoo and don't let it sleep in your bedroom. Smaller pets (obviously) produce less dander.
• Replace plush, stuffed toys with hypoallergenic toys that can be washed in hot water.
• Never use an unvented gas or kerosene room heater in your home.