According to Gina Shaw, a WebMD freelancer, a recent nationwide survey revealed that over half of all Americans have tested positive for at least some allergy related issues, commonly known as allergens. Many of these are indoor allergies such as dust, mold, and pet dander.
How can you allergy-proof your home? Take a tour of your house from room to room, and find out how serous your problem is.
“This is the most allergen-prone room in your house, because the most common indoor allergen is dust mites,” says James Sublett, MD, an allergist in Louisville, Ky.
The single most important thing you can do for dust mite allergies is to put hypoallergenic casings on your beds, mattresses, box springs, and most importantly, on the pillows. Dust Mites (allergies) are right in your face all the time. Ensure that you regularly wash your bedding to eliminate as much dust mites as possible.
If your children have stuffed animals toys in the bedroom, take a look at the label. Many stuffed animals are marked “surface clean only.” Your child’s linens and stuffed animals should be washed in hot water at least once a week.
In our kid’s bedrooms, we replaced the carpet for wood floors (engineering wood) and installed tiles on the rest of the house. Having installed tiles and wood floors have drastically reduced the dust mite particles that accumulate in carpets.
Something that we have failed to do is keep our Terrier dog “Chewy” out of the bedroom and off our bed. “Even if you’re not actually allergic to the pet dander, they can bring allergens into the bedroom and onto the bed on their fur,” notes Sublett.
In addition, few years back we installed a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) air filter as part of our central air conditioning system. A HEPA air filter is not an air purifier, which does nothing for allergies. HEPA filters can remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 micrometers (µm) in diameter.
If you cannot replace your carpet in the bedroom, at least use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to eliminate most of you allergens. Vacuums with HEPA filters “reduce the amount of particles thrown up in the air when you’re vacuuming,” says Sublett.
Also, it’s a good idea to wear an allergy face mask when you’re vacuuming.” He recommends a mask rated at least N95 by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, which filters extremely small particles.
Please visit AllergyHomeShop.com for more information and remedies for your most common allergy home issues.
