5 Steps to Allergy Proofing Your Home
While you can’t really ever fully rid your home of allergens, you can take steps towards cutting down the amount of mold, dust, and pollen in your home. For many spring time is their favorite time of the year, but for those who suffer from seasonal allergies, spring can be a nightmare. Take a look at these 6 tips to help you and your family fight against allergies.
De-clutter!
We can not stress this enough, you need to clear away clutter! You may have skipped out on a full spring cleaning, but you shouldn’t skip out on clearing away clutter that has grown all winter long. Remember, the less stuff in your home, the fewer spots allergens have to cling on to. Your weekly cleaning will be much easier with less junk lying around. Get rid of old magazines, worn out clothes, and random knickknacks. Recycle as many items as you can, and remember if you don’t use an item, and can’t remember when the last time you used it was, it’s time to let go. Bedrooms should be cleaned thoroughly as you and your family most likely spends a good chunk of time there.
Keep the Air Clean
Keeping your home well ventilated and your duct-work free of leaks is the best and first line of defense against allergens. Using a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air filter) in your homes air conditioning system, be sure the humidity levels in your home are around 50% at all times. Remember mold grows from moisture, and dust and pollen are easily stirred in dry air. On high pollen count days, keep your windows shut, 10 am to 3 pm is usually when high amounts of pollen travels into your home. Keep in mind pollen and mold spores commonly settle on clothing, so when you come in from outside remove your jacket, shoes, and other items of clothing before stepping into your home.
Kitchen Keep Up
Your kitchen is the focal point of your home, therefore it’s very important you keep it clean! When you’re not preparing food, storing, and generally living, keep up with your kitchen cleaning! Regularly check under your sink for leaks, or mold, remember mold grows in damp areas so if you find any issues fix them immediately. Regularly clean the counters, appliances, and walls with nontoxic cleaner.
Reduce Dust
Try to reduce the amount of dust generators in your home. Carpet and fabric furniture can contribute to dust creation in your home, if you can’t part with your accent rugs and favorite sofa, consider regularly cleaning in the bedrooms and living room. Pinch curtains together and wash them, as well as throw pillows, blankets and rugs every week or so. Mop regularly and dust the walls and other surfaces in your home, if you have carpet flooring, keep it short and vacuum weekly.
Landscape Accordingly
When designing your homes landscape, plan it out before you start planting. Remember yellow, sticky pollen that is carried by bees from plant to plant rarely cause allergy reactions, so don’t be scared of floral arrangements for your front lawn. Other low allergy flowers include, impatiens, hosta, scabiosa, viola, columbine, and astilbe’s. Avoid planing trees such as maple, birch, and ash.
We hope you’ve found these tips helpful when trying to eliminate some of the pollen, mold, and dust in your home. Remember, spring doesn’t have to be a time of aggravation, use these tips to rid your home of allergens! Remember if you’re doing a household clean out or any renovations, call us at Dumpster Rental Inc for an affordable rental to tackle the mess! Call today for a free quote and get started on your next project!
