How to Minimize the Effects of Allergies
Powerful Dust Remover
Vacuum Often
Vacuum your floor and furniture as much as possible.
Dust settle in these areas and when we walk over or sit on it, we stir up the dust.
The dust could also invite pesky dust mites into the house.
Dust mites are another known allergen.
Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter.
I like the Dyson Animal since it sucks up a lot of dust and dirt, never loses suction and has a filter.
Get Rid Of Carpet And Rugs
After a while, dust and dirt can fill your carpets all the way down and including the padding underneath.
Most vacuums cannot clean down that far.
Even if you do vacuum often, you may want to change out your carpet and rugs after a few years or just get rid of them completely and switch to wood floors.
Wood floors do not absorb dirt and dust like carpets do.
Wood floors are easier to get completely clean than carpets or rugs.
If you do not want to get rid of your carpet, have it cleaned by a professional twice a year. Some carpet cleaning services can clean allergens out of your carpets and rugs. It is an additional service though.
How To Avoid Allergies
- How to avoid exposure to outdoor allergens
Allergic rhinitis causes symptoms of sneezing, congestion, and a runny nose. However, you can control these symptoms with medicine and by avoiding the things that cause them (allergens). If you are allergic to outdoor allergens, such as pollen and mo
Take Your Shoes Off When You Enter Your House
We pick up a lot of dirt and pollen on our shoes while we are outside.
To stop it from coming into the house and getting into our flooring, take your shoes off when you come in the house.
Put shoes in a designated area.
This will stop outdoor pollen and dirt from getting into your house.
Do Not Adopt An Animal
If you are allergic to animals, do not get one. If you already have a pet and found out you are allergic to it, have it cleaned weekly to remove pet dander.
Keep Windows And Doors Closed
Shut the seasonal allergens out of your house by keeping the windows and doors shut.
Use your air conditioner during the summer and your heater during the winter.
They will circulate the air in your house and filter the air during each cycle.
Use A Mask When Mowing The Lawn Or Doing Yard Work
If you are allergic to grass, weeds or trees, use a face mask when you mow the lawn or do yard work. It will stop allergens from getting into your nose or mouth.
Taking a shower and throwing your clothes into the washing machine afterwards is a good idea too since you and your clothes will be coated with allergens.
Air Filters For People With Allergies
Change Your Air Filter Regularly
If you do not have pets and you have minimal allergies, you should change your air filter out every two months.
If you have pets and/or severe allergies, change out your air filter every 30-45 days.
It seems like it needs to be changed out a lot, but if you have animals, they shed and the filter picks up more hairs and dander than a household without animals which clogs up the air filter and makes the air conditioner and work less efficiently.
It is easy to get dust and dirt off of leather couches!
Switch From Fabric To A Leather Couch
Leather couches are less porous than fabric couches so less allergens can settle in the leather couch.
Leather couches are easy to wipe clean and get rid of any pet dander or dust.
Cloth couches are breeding grounds for dust mites and bed bugs.
I normally use a leather cleaner to clean my leather couches, but when I am out of leather cleaner, I use Pledge to clean them.
It works just as well and protects the leather!
Clean Your Bed Sheets Regularly
People shed around two pounds of dead skin cells each year. A lot of it ends up in the sheets of our bed.
Bed bugs and dust mites love to eat dead skin cells, so that are naturally attracted to bed sheets. Wash your sheets in hot water weekly to clean sheets of any dead skin cells and bugs.
Use Mattress And Pillow Protectors
Mattress and 
The more tightly woven the mattress and pillow protectors are, the less allergens they will allow to sink in.
When searching for protectors, try to find the tightest woven or highest thread-count for maximum protection.
They are a little more expensive, but they last a long time.
Use An Air Purifier
Use an air purifier to filter the pollen out of the air you breath.
Remember to clean or replace the filter regularly to keep the purifier working at it best.
If you get a one-room air purifier, put it in the room you spend the most time in, usually the bedroom.
Picture Of Dust
Dust Your Furniture Regularly
Instead of using a feather duster, which could cause dust to be dispersed through the air, use a moist cloth or towel to remove dust.
The dust will catch on the towel instead of spreading through the air.
The Proper Way To Wash Your Hands
- CDC Features - Wash Your Hands
Keeping hands clean is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of infection and illness.
Wash Your Hands
Wash your hands as soon as you walk in your house.
This will stop some of the germs and pollen from coming into your house.
After you have been gardening or spending time outdoors, it is especially important to wash your hands.
If you pet an animal that you are allergic to, wash your hands as soon as possible after you touch the animal.
Let's See How Many People Suffer From Seasonal Allergies.
Do You Suffer From Seasonal Allergies?
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and does not substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, and/or dietary advice from a licensed health professional. Drugs, supplements, and natural remedies may have dangerous side effects. If pregnant or nursing, consult with a qualified provider on an individual basis. Seek immediate help if you are experiencing a medical emergency.
© 2013 Melanie Casey
