Last Updated on April 9, 2022 by Ellen Christian
Controlling allergens in your home is something that can make a huge difference for anyone that has allergies or asthma. My daughter and I both have allergies and asthma. So, this is an absolute must in our home. Here are a few things that I’ve been working on.
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Controlling Allergens In Your Home
Living in Vermont, we heat with a combination of both wood and oil. When we heat with wood, we use our woodstove. When we heat with oil, we use our forced hot air furnace. Heating with wood can cause extra dust and ash to be present in the home. When the forced hot air furnace comes on, it blows the dust around the room no matter how often I sweep and vacuum.
Cleaning for allergies
By working on controlling allergens in your home, you can help keep your allergies under control. One of the most important things that you can do is to try to control the dust and dust mites. Dusting regularly and washing your sheets and blankets in hot water is the best way to do this. And, don’t forget to wash the curtains and throw pillow covers as well.
If you are allergic to your pets, you may need to consider limiting them to only certain areas of your home. It may be necessary to keep pets out of your bedroom so they do not get on the bed. At the very minimum, you will want to make certain that you vacuum and sweep floors regularly to get rid of any pet dander and extra pet hair that may accumulate. An iRobot Roomba can be scheduled to vacuum each day while you’re at work.
People that are allergic to mold should make certain that they are cleaning their bathrooms well to remove any mold or mildew that might build up in damp or wet areas. And, don’t forget other areas of your home like the basement or kitchen. Tea tree oil is effective at killing mold and mildew. Learn more about essential oils that may be helpful for allergies here.
How do you get rid of allergens in the air?
Since winters in Vermont are so long, we easily run our forced hot air furnace six months out of every year. We make sure that we change our furnace filter every three months. The filter works to remove dust, pet hair and other contaminants from the air. That means that they are not blowing around in our home and bothering my allergies.
Controlling allergens in your home with filters
There are several different types of filters that can help with controlling allergens and other things in your home.
- Mechanical filters like the HEPA filters that capture allergens when air is forced through them.
- Electronic filters that use an electronic charge to attract allergens.
- Hybrid filters are filters that are combinations of the first two.
- Gas-phase filters remove food odors like the fan in your kitchen. They do not remove allergens.
- Ozone generators which are controversial and not often recommended by the EPA or the American Lung Association.
Do air purifiers help with allergies?
Yes, air purifiers with a filter can help with allergies. They circulate the air through the filter. And, the filter catches dust, dander, mold spores, and pollen. You may need more than one air purifier depending on the size of your home. And, be sure to choose one that has a HEPA filter like this one.
How do I reduce pet dander in my home?
Brushing your pet regularly can help with controlling allergens in your home. Whenever possible, keep your pets off your bedding and out of your bedroom. Vacuum surfaces like couches, chairs, and curtains regularly. Change your furnace and air purifier filters regularly. Finally, you may want to consider putting filters on your forced hot air ducts.
Allergy house cleaning service
If you struggle with keeping up with cleaning to control allergens, you might want to try a house cleaning service. You can have someone come in to help with vacuuming, dusting, washing curtains and heavy cleaning that you cannot do.
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Ellen is a busy mom of a 24-year-old son and 29-year-old daughter. She owns six blogs and is addicted to social media. She believes that it doesn’t have to be difficult to lead a healthy life. She shares simple healthy living tips to show busy women how to lead fulfilling lives. If you’d like to work together, email info@confessionsofanover-workedmom.com to chat.
