Even if your home is your paradise, allergens will still follow you inside, causing you to sneeze and sniff regularly. If one of your family members suffers from a severe allergy, you might wonder if you’ll ever find relief from the symptoms. It’s still possible to get an allergen-free house. By knowing which indoor allergens are lingering in your home and where you can find them, you can take steps to reduce your family’s exposure.
It’ll also make you feel at ease in your home. Below is a guide to help you lessen indoor allergens at home, relieving your family from its symptoms.
5 Common Indoor Allergens
You can find most indoor allergens in your home all year-round, leaving your family with watery or itchy eyes, sore throats, and runny noses. If one of your family members is still suffering from allergies despite the seasonal changes, you might be sensitive to five of the most common indoor allergens you can find at home, including:
- Mold
Mold is a fungus that multiplies by releasing spores into the air. If inhaled, mold spores can cause allergies. Mold usually grows in the damp, moist areas of your house, such as laundry rooms, under-sink cabinets, showers, and windowsills.
- Insects
Most cockroach allergens tend to spread more throughout your house than dust mites because cockroaches are highly mobile. Likewise, cockroaches and their feces tend to accumulate more in insect-hiding areas, like behind large appliances or furniture, inside crevices or cracks, and other hard-to-reach places.
- Pet Allergens
Unlike popular belief, people with pet allergies are susceptible to their pet’s urine, dander or dead skin cells, and saliva instead of their fur, which is why many call non-shedding or hairless breeds “hypoallergenic” pets. Despite that, they can still trigger allergy symptoms. Usually, your house might be full of pet allergens, but you can commonly find them in the areas where your pet plays or stays.
- Dust Mites
Even if dust mites are widely common throughout the house, you can usually find them in the bedroom. That’s because they prefer to stay in warm, moist breeding grounds, so they end up building their nests in upholstered furniture, carpets, or bedding.
- Pollen
Many believe that pollen is only an outdoor allergen, but they’re wrong. It can also quickly accumulate inside your house. It can enter your home by floating in through open doors or windows, sticking on the hair of family members, the fur of pets, and on your clothes.
Tips on Removing Allergens
Individuals suffering from allergies know how a sore throat or runny nose can quickly ruin a lovely evening at home. Your house should be your comfort from allergies, but that can become a faraway dream if your house is full of indoor allergens. Fortunately, spending a little effort and time will aid in making your rooms allergen-free.
Living Room
Your living room’s upholstered furniture, rugs, and carpets can harbor allergens such as pollen, pet dander, and dust brought in from outside. One of the first tips to keep your living room germ-free is replacing upholstered furniture or carpets with easy-to-clean options like wooden furniture with removable cushions or hardwood or tile floors. You’ll also have to clean your carpets weekly using a HEPA vacuum.
Make sure to wash your blankets, throw pillows, or fabric curtains in warm water once a week. Don’t put many potted plants inside the house because the soil can become a breeding ground for mold. Dust regularly. Use a damp cloth to get rid of dried flowers or trinkets that gather dust particles. It’s also best to keep doors and windows closed to stop pollen entering your house.
Don’t use wood-burning fireplaces. That’s because the smoke and ash can cause severe allergic reactions or respiratory conditions. Opt for an alternative to keep your family warm and comfortable during winter. If you’re also using an HVAC unit, it’s best to keep the air ducts clean and free from particles. Let a duct cleaning company do the work for you because this might be a more complicated job than you think.
Bathroom
Be attentive. Or else, your bathroom can also become the perfect environment for mold and mildew growth. You’ll have to keep your bathroom free from allergies. You can use exhaust fans to reduce or eliminate moisture during and after showers or baths. Don’t forget to dry out the shower or bathtub after each use to get rid of mold-causing moisture. It’s also best to replace the carpets in your bathroom.
You can opt for hardwood, linoleum, or tile floors if possible. It’ll also be best to wash the shower curtains and bath mats regularly. If you notice mold growth, replace them right away. You can also replace your existing wallpaper with mold-resistant paint or tiles. Be mindful of leaks under the sink or near the toilet. Have them fixed immediately. Lastly, you should thoroughly clean mold growth upon seeing it.
It might take effort and time, but it’ll be worthwhile. You can protect your home from indoor allergens, making it a haven where everyone is safe from allergies. You can prevent allergens from entering or building up in your house by using both allergen removal methods and finding the sources of indoor contaminants.
