Did you know that 50 million Americans are affected by allergies every year? Therefore, if left unchecked, allergies can be a leading cause of chronic illness. Allergy symptoms range from sneezing, watery and itchy eyes, coughing, and even asthma. It is essential to control indoor allergens, allergy-proof your home, and keep it dust-free, especially if you have severe symptoms.
Be careful of pet hair, pollen, or mold as they can aggravate your allergies. In this blog, we’ve listed down ways by which you can allergy-proof your home, room-by-room.
Allergy-proof bedroom
Your bedroom is home to allergens! Therefore, your proximity with your favorite pillow is why you have that sneeze-attack. Here’s how to allergy-proof your bedroom!
Roomi Tip: You can get a serious allergy attack while cleaning so make sure to wear a mask at all times!
1. Bed and bedding
Dust mites trigger allergies and are commonly found on pillows and linen. Romantic feathery pillows can be comfortable to sleep on but are known to aggravate allergies. It is essential to use hypoallergenic pillow covers, bed sheets & blankets. It is advisable to wash them in 130ºF water at least once a week to rid it of any possible allergens.
2. Curtains and blinds
Use easy-to-wash cotton or synthetic curtains as they don’t collect dust easily. You can also replace horizontal blinds with washable roller-type shades.
3. Furnishings
Use easy-to-clean chairs, dressers, and nightstands. Materials used should be either leather, wood or metal. Try to avoid upholstered furniture.
4. Air Filtration
Use a HEPA air filter to have an allergen-free environment at home.
5. Pets
Keep pets out of your bedroom. Bathing them once a week reduces allergens and pet dander.
6. Flooring
Carpets are allergy sources, and it’s best to avoid them. Instead, use hardwood or linoleum flooring. If you have to use carpets, remember to vacuum them weekly.
Allergy-Proof Your Living Room
1. Furniture
Keep your furniture minimal and stay away from upholstered ones.
2. Plants
In case you have potted plants inside your living space, spread aquarium gravel over the soil to help contain the mold.
3. Fireplaces
Use natural gas fireplaces and avoid wood-burning fireplaces or stoves because they aggravate respiratory allergies
4. Pets
Some people find it hard to accept that they could be allergic to their pets. But pet allergies to furry pets are relatively common and aggravate respiratory and other problems.
Allergy-Proof Your kitchen
1. Stove
Install an exhaust fan in the kitchen to vent all cooking fumes outside.
2. Sink
Wash dishes daily and scrub the sink and faucets to remove mold and food debris.
3. Refrigerator
Make sure that you wipe excessive moisture to avoid condensation and mold growth. Also, replace rubber seals around doors regularly as they are prone to mold growth.
4. Counters and cabinets
Make sure that you regularly clean cabinets and countertops with detergent and water. And store all pantry items – including pet food in sealed, airtight containers.
5. Food waste
Kitchen garbage is a breeding ground for bacteria. Above all, remember to move garbage outside your home daily to keep the pests away.
Allergy-Proof Your Shower
1. Ventilation
For freshness, install an exhaust fan.
2. Floors
Use linoleum or tile flooring, and avoid carpeting.
3. Walls
It is best to use tiles instead of wallpaper. Moreover, painting the walls with mold-resistant enamel paint helps control indoor allergens.
4. Shower and tub
You can use bleach to scrub mold from showers, faucets, and tubs.
5. Toilet and sink
Repair all leakages and scrub mold from plumbing fixtures.
Allergy-proof the basement:
1. Flooring
Remove water-damaged carpeting and use concrete, vinyl, or linoleum flooring.
2. Stairwells, foundation, and windows
Check for water damages and repair.
3. Air quality
Basements are naturally humid places – use a dehumidifier to reduce mold build-up and condensation to control indoor allergens.
Healthy practices
1. Temperature and humidity
It’s advisable to keep room temperature between 68ºF to 72ºF and relative humidity up to 50%. As a good practice, replace particle filters for heating and cooling systems at least once a month.
2. Pests
Call a professional exterminator to take care of mice and rats. Subsequently, remember to vacuum the carpeting and wash hard surfaces to eliminate the allergy-triggering insect and mouse residue.
3. Weekly cleaning routine
Wear allergy-proof protective clothing while cleaning and keep to a basic weekly deep cleaning routine.
4. Smoking
Do not allow smoking anywhere inside your house.
If our tips helped to allergy-proof your home, let us know in the comments below!
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