How to Allergy Proof Your Home

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, approximately 40 million people suffer from indoor allergies. Maybe you're one of them! If so, you know how important it is to make efforts to avoid allergens that trigger your allergies. It takes only a little extra effort to guard off these triggers inside your home.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Vacuum
• Dust rags or dust mops
• Dehumidifier
• Hygrometer
• Ceiling fans and other fans
• Allergen-proof zippered covers for bed linens
• Washable throw rugs

1. Keep your home cool and dry. This will help reduce mold and dust mite growth in your home. You can track your home's humidity level with a hygrometer, which is most likely available at your local hardware store. The advised level of relative humidity is 50 percent or below.
2. Rid your home of wet things and spaces. Basements, bathrooms and other places harbor moisture, which also grows mold. Make sure to clean up or discard wet messes immediately. Seal up cracks, leaks or drips. Use a mixture of five parts bleach to 95 parts water to clean mold from surfaces.
3. Discard the carpet. The best flooring choices for people with allergies are hardwood, tile or linoleum. If you still feel you need some softness underfoot, opt for washable throw rugs.
4. Vacuum regularly. By using a vacuum that uses a double-lined bag and a HEPA filter, most allergens from your carpets will be trapped.
5. Ban smokers from smoking inside your home. Asthma attacks and other allergies are easily triggered by secondhand smoke.
6. Launder your bedding regularly in hot water at least 130 degrees F. Protect your pillows, mattress and box springs from dust mites by sealing them in allergen-proof zippered covers.
7. Send animals outdoors. If you can't bear to put your pet outside, deny your pet free reign of the bedrooms, and bathe him once every three weeks.
8. Keep your home's ventilation system in the clear. Change your furnace and air conditioner's filters as recommended by the manufacturer. Make sure your dehumidifier isn't passing along allergens by cleaning it once every two weeks. Utilize ceiling fans throughout your home to circulate air. Run fans in rooms that feature water or odors, like the bathroom or kitchen.
9. Dust regularly. Use damp mops, damp rags or treated dust rags to clean hard surfaces or shiny floors in your home on a weekly basis.
10. Keep your windows closed. The highest pollen counts occur from 4 to 10 a.m. Don't open your windows at night and leave them for the morning, because you're going to wake up to allergy symptoms.

Tips & Warnings

• When cleaning up moldy messes, keep in mind that if the mold area exceeds 10 square feet, you'll need to contact a professional for help removing the contamination.
• Using a dry cloth or a feather duster isn't going to help when you dust. They just disperse the allergens in the dust back into the air.
• Don't over decorate with knickknacks. Dust collects on these tiny treasures and causes there to be more allergens in your home.
• When you have your water heater turned up in order to wash your linens in HOT water, be sure to keep all children away from the hot water tap. It can scald them easily.