How to Protect Your Home From Allergies This Spring
Officially spring. Along with flowers, sunlight and cream for allergy sufferers, this is also the most sneezing and tearful season. This is mainly due to the release of airborne pollen, so when pollen is high, people with allergies must stay inside . This is sound advice – unless your home is already a major allergy zone. Here’s how to make the interiors of your home really bring you relief.
First, prioritize
Before you start making a Stop Allergy ASAP list based on the guidelines below, consider what you are doing and what you don’t know: “The first thing to keep in mind is that not everyone has the same allergies,” he said. Sanaz Eftekhari, director of corporate affairs for the nonprofit Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). “There are thousands of allergens, the most common of which are dust mites, pollen and pet hair. What you need to change in your home depends on your diagnosis, ”says Eftekhari.
It can also be helpful to know what allergens may be common in your home – according to the NIH, most homes have high levels of at least one nasal pathogen. You can find professional experts on air quality, which will make it for you, or try a range of self- cooking, which will help you find out which allergens are the most dangerous in your particular location. Observing common sense matters too: if you already know you are allergic to dust mites and can text your roommate in the dust on the shelves, this is an obvious problem. If you’re allergic to pet dander, brushing Fido in your bedroom is a silly idea. Keeping in mind what you’re allergic to, here are a few strategies to try for each area of your home.
For the whole house
Keep it simple – literal. Getting rid of the clutter altogether will help minimize the areas for allergens to accumulate. (Each little knickknack increases the surface area for collecting dust, pet dander, pollen, and other allergens.) Keep freshly cleaned surfaces clean by regularly wiping with a damp cloth. Old cotton socks are great for this – just stick your hand in and out, no fancy rags are required.
- Don’t bring allergens inside (if your problem is pollen). Use two rugs, one inside and one outside, to trap allergens in doorways and keep them out of your home. Better yet, remove your shoes at the door to prevent pollen from tracing throughout your home — it can easily get onto your shoes. You may want to change into your home clothes, as pollen sticks to clothes too. Who doesn’t want to feel comfortable when they get home anyway? And take a quick shower before bed to keep pollen out of bed.
- Keep your windows closed . And use an air conditioner (same when you’re in your car) that filters out pollen.
- Get rid of your rugs. Bare floors that are cleaned regularly are an easy way to reduce major allergens. If you need to have rugs with you, “… consider cleaning your carpets professionally every quarter if you can,” Eftekhari said.
- Vacuum well and regularly. Purchase or use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter (make sure it filters out allergens, or see this list of certified vacuum cleaners ) to avoid blowing out allergens while cleaning. Don’t just vacuum the floor – prepare windowsills and corners where floor and walls meet. And look up – the corners of the ceiling are collecting dust too.
In the bedroom
You spend 7 hours (or more) in bed every night, so this is the number one area to keep clean and free of allergens.
- Use a humidifier or air purifier while sleeping . Thus, or your life, which you spend in a dream, will pass in filtered air. “This was my first time using a humidifier this year and it mattered — my allergy symptoms improved by about 15 percent,” said Ron Quiroga, who lives and works in Norwalk, Connecticut. He says it’s important to keep the unit clean (see your squad’s instructions for details) to keep it working at maximum efficiency.
- Wash your sheets and pillowcases regularly (once a week). You can also look for hypoallergenic sheets and pillows. AAFA tests duvets, sheets, mattress toppers, duvets and more. As part of their certification, they determine whether the test items have any “physical or chemical properties that can cause asthma irritation and / or allergy symptoms” or “contribute to the goal of reducing exposure to allergens.” Details are available for each product, and the nonprofit also checks to see if the item can be cleaned as suggested and withstands that cleanup over time.
- Wash your curtains regularly . Or better yet, use easy-to-clean blinds or curtains that don’t collect dust and allergens (and remember to wipe them down from time to time). The same goes for decorative pillows and fabric wallpaper.
- Keep pets out of your bed and bedroom if you are allergic to pet dander. If you don’t, and you are more concerned about getting pollen inside, wipe the dog with a damp cloth as it enters outside to remove the pollen as much as possible. And maybe wash those sheets a little more often if she sleeps with you, as her coat will carry pollen even if you clean it well. Frequent baths are also not a bad idea.
On the kitchen
Keep this room clean because it is a civilized way of life, but also because it will help you stay healthy. Do not forget to clean the edges of the ceiling fan and remove dust from the oven hoods, as well as from the back and under the appliances; A busy kitchen has plenty of places to hide allergens, even if the countertops are clean.
- Keep vermin away . Rodents and cockroaches shed allergens, such as pollen, and are themselves allergens (cockroaches have a protein in their skin droppings and urine that some people, like mice, are allergic to). Take out food waste daily to keep it out of your space. It’s just a good idea anyway, isn’t it?
- Keep your bathroom and kitchen dry , including in the refrigerator, to prevent mold from growing in damp places.
Just because you have allergies doesn’t mean you should drive yourself crazy and try to do everything on this list (mental health matters too!), Unless you have severe allergic reactions. Pick a few things that work for you and your allergies and stick to them, such as washing your sheets and vacuuming weekly. “Know your own situation. Know what you are allergic to, know your sensitivity and come up with a plan so that it doesn’t affect your life, ”said Eftekhari. “Not everyone needs to take all of these precautions. Just because you are allergic does not mean you should live in a hygienic world. “