Your home is your sanctuary and your refuge. But it probably doesn’t feel like much of a refuge if you are sneezing with itchy eyes because there are too many allergens that have infiltrated your home. But how do you eliminate allergens from your home?
There are many things that you can do to eliminate allergens from your home. There are so many areas where allergens enter and so many places in your home where allergens can be easily trapped. But where do you even begin?
The key to ridding your home of allergens is to attack it from all sides. You must address how allergens enter your home, address the surfaces where allergens are most easily trapped, and take steps to filter the air in your home. There are many ways for allergens to infiltrate your sanctuary, but if you try these tips for eliminating them, you will breathe easier.
Focus on Shoes and Floors
When you think about allergens, most people immediately think of what is in the air. What’s in the air is important, but how does what’s in the air get inside our homes? One way is on your feet. So if you want to eliminate harmful allergens from your home, your shoes and floors are a great starting place.
One great way to keep allergens out of your home is by keeping them outside. And one way to keep them outside is to avoid letting them in on your shoes. Try placing a mat on the outside and the inside of your doorways to create two lines of defense against allergens invading by way of your footsteps.
Another option is to keep your shoes at the door or outdoors. You track allergens through your home on your shoes, so keeping your shoes and your guests’ shoes at the door or outside is another great way to eliminate these pesky allergens. Talking about doors reminds us of suggesting the Mastercraft doors. Check reviews here
Carpets and rugs are wonderfully decorative however they are also a fantastic collector of allergens. They hold allergens in their fibers and then those allergens are released into the air as we walk across them. So replacing carpets with hardwood, laminate, or tile flooring is a great step toward the elimination of allergens.
Even if you don’t have carpet, area rugs are just as good at trapping allergens. So if you want area rugs to elevate your decor, try small rugs that are machine washable. This will allow you to wash them regularly, which will help to reduce the allergens in your home.
A Dust Free Bed
Where there is fabric, cushioning and cloth fiber, you will no doubt find allergens. And there is almost nowhere in your home that has more fabric and cushioning than your bed. And being that this is the place where you sleep, it is so important to eliminate allergens from this sacred space of reset and rest.
To reduce the allergens in your bed, start with your pillows. Pillows are a popular spot for dust mites as well as their droppings. So using machine washable dust covers under your pillow cases is essential. And make sure to wash your covers and cases every few weeks and wash your pillows quarterly.
You don’t just sleep on a pillow, you sleep on a mattress which is also a wonderful breeding ground for dust mites. So using a dust cover on our mattress is also a must-do. And don’t forget to clean or vacuum your bed frame and headboard, especially if they are upholstered.
Clean and Filtered Air
Removing allergens from your home means changing the air in your home. Making sure that your house has great ventilation, that there aren’t air leaks or drafts, is essential. Make sure that your windows have a tight seal. Also, try to keep your windows closed when it is windy outside or during higher pollen count hours which are between approximately 10 am and 3 pm.
Another way to eliminate allergens from the air is to utilize a high-efficiency particulate filter (HEPA) in your air conditioning unit. Also making sure that you are vacuuming weekly with a vacuum that also has a HEPA filter, is very helpful in eliminating allergens and particulates from your home.
Routine Cleaning is Key
Air filters, dust covers, cleaning of toilets to avoid problems in the future, and non-fabric flooring are all great ways to eliminate allergens in your home. But cleaning is a huge part of allergen elimination as well. To keep your home as allergen-free as possible requires regular cleaning of surfaces, dusting, vacuuming, and removal of pet dander. But how do you keep up with the cleaning schedule necessary to reduce or eliminate allergens?
Hiring a cleaning service is worth its weight in gold. A cleaning service will thoroughly clean those high allergen trapping areas that you either do not have the time or energy to address.
But again, to eliminate allergens, you must do this cleaning routinely. So try setting a weekly or bi-weekly cleaning schedule with a cleaning service. If weekly, they can handle all of the regular maintenance to fight allergies build-up. But if you choose a bi-weekly schedule, then you can choose a few tasks to tackle on your own in the weeks in between.
Take A Deep Breathe
While allergens will always live in the world, they don’t have to live in your home. If you try these tips, you can eliminate allergens from your home and breathe easily. And it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Just address each of these aspects of allergen reduction and removal.
First, address how allergens enter your home. Make sure that you secure windows and doors that will keep allergens out, as well as no other air leaks or drafts. And leave the shoes at the door after a good wipe on a doormat outside to keep allergens off of your floors.
Remember that as we walk on carpets and rugs, allergens that are trapped inside are released into the air. So try to remove carpeting from your home in favor of hard surfaces. And if you choose to have area rugs, try to get washable ones.
Your pillows and mattress should be a place to relax, not to worry about dust mites. So make sure to cover both with dust covers. And don’t forget to clean your bed frame and headboard, especially if they are upholstered. Also, try to get a vacuum that has a HEPA filter as well as use one in your air conditioning unit to eliminate allergens from the air.
Lastly, regular cleaning is instrumental in the reduction of allergens, so set up a regular cleaning by a cleaning service. They can do routine cleaning, especially in areas that tend to hold allergens, so that they don’t build up.
If you attack allergens in your home with these tips, you can have an allergen-free refuge in no time.
