Keep Your Home Allergy-Free This Spring

Have you noticed the arrival of Spring yet? Coughing, sneezing, itchy watery eyes, and fatigue are all tell-tale signs of spring for allergy sufferers. Many folks don’t realize it, but your home can also exasperate these symptoms especially with the arrival of spring.

There are simple steps you can take to allergy proof your home and take refuge indoors when the outdoors is bothersome.

The number one allergen inside of homes are dust mites and bedrooms are prone to dust mites because of bed linens, throw pillows, blankets, quilts and carpeting. Some people pile their beds high with these items that may not be getting washed often enough.

The solution is to use hypoallergenic sheets and pillowcases for your bed, mattress and box springs.

Furthermore, it is crucial to wash bedding in hot water once a week. Make it a routine thing on your cleaning checklist, or at least have your cleaning company change your linens at each cleaning service.

Another thing you can do to avoid dust mites in your bedrooms is to eliminate carpeting. Dust mites can build up in carpets. If bare flooring is not something you like, make sure to vacuum your bedroom weekly.

Moisture is another issue that asthma sufferers face. Kitchens and bathrooms can be breeding grounds for mold and mildew.

Make sure to keep food items properly sealed and take the trash out regularly. It is important to keep these areas clean and dry and the use of a vent fan is especially crucial for bathrooms. Showers, bathtubs and toilets should be disinfected weekly using a disinfecting solution. For tips on controlling mold and mildew naturally, check our recent post.

Use HEPA filters in your vacuum cleaners and ask about the filter that your cleaning company uses at their cleanings. HEPA filter vacuums, “with a true HEPA filter can trap 99.97 percent of airborne particles, helping to bring you some much needed allergy relief.

Most standard vacuums just blow these particles back into the air. This is why using a good, top-rated vacuum cleaner with a built-in HEPA filter can be so beneficial.” Consistent use of a HEPA filter vacuum can improve the quality of the indoor air.

Pet dander is another common allergen in many homes. While you cannot avoid pet allergens all together if you own a pet, you can take steps to decrease it.

One area that you may want to limit your pets from accessing is your bedroom. Keeping your pets off of your bed will decrease the number of allergens in your bedroom while you sleep. And, washing your pets weekly will also help keep pet dander down.

Air filters come with MERV ratings which stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. MERV ratings measure “a filters’ efficiency in removing small particles.

The higher the MERV rating, the more particles the filter can remove.” While higher MERV ratings mean they can be more expensive, if you suffer from allergies it may be worth investing in filters with MERV 11 and MERV 13. The MERV 13 filters are good for pet owners because they will capture the smallest particles of dirt, pollen and pet dander.

There are many things you can do to have good air quality in your home even if you cannot control the outdoors. As always, deep cleaning every season is worthwhile especially if you suffer from allergies.

Enlist the help of your professional cleaning company this Spring to control indoor allergens!