How To Maintain A Clean, Allergy Free Home
Suppose you develop sneezing, stuffy and runny nose, or watery eyes outdoors. You might be tempted to spend most of your time indoors to avoid typical allergens like tree and flower pollen. However, do you know your home could be far from a haven? Allergens can easily find their way into your home. For example, they cling to your clothes as you dry them outside or whenever you’re outdoors. On the other hand, moisture in your bathroom and kitchen encourages mold growth, which later accumulates in your home. Developing a home-cleaning procedure is vital to keep your home clean and allergy-free.
Since every room in your home has potential causes of allergen accumulation, the following information provides tips on how to clean different areas in your home. This will help you understand the surfaces to concentrate on for effectiveness. Read on.
The Living Room
The living room is the center of every home. It’s where family and friends gather to catch up. Unfortunately, this means the area is prone to many pollutants, which can interfere with quality time, mainly if they cause sneezing and wheezing. However, you can keep your living room clean and free of allergy-causing pollutants. Here are some steps you should follow for positive results:
Stop Pollutants From Entering Your Home for Allergy free home
Most allergies cling to your shoes and clothes. As you enter your home, they, too, access it. Within no time, they multiply and pollute your indoor air. This is preventable by removing your shoes before entering your home. You can also create a spot to remove the clothes before entering the house. This area should be vacuumed regularly to prevent the pollen particles from multiplying and filling your home. Additionally, ensure to wash dirty clothes and shoes as soon as possible.
Clean Floors, Carpets, And Rugs
Even if you implement the no-shoe rule, pollutants may still enter your home. Suppose the allergens enter your home through people’s or pets’ feet. The contaminants will accumulate on the floor, carpets, and rugs. In such cases, the pollutants spread to other surfaces whenever you walk over them. With that in mind, every homeowner should ensure the floors, carpets, and rugs are always clean. Fortunately, cleaning the floor is an easy task. However, if your home has complex flooring, consider researching how to wash it to prevent damage. Nevertheless, washing carpets and area rugs can be tricky, especially when you aren’t experienced in drying them. Fortunately, Summit Carpet Cleaning and other reputable carpet cleaning companies are always on standby to offer outstanding carpet cleaning services to ensure your rugs are clean and allergen-free. If you’re unsure you can clean and dry your carpet correctly, consider hiring such services.
Dust The Furniture
Upholstery furniture is notorious for picking and harboring allergens. It would help if you dusted it daily to prevent allergen accumulation. Ensure to dust electronics and other commonly used items at least once weekly. As for ceilings and fans, wipe them whenever necessary. Unfortunately, some dusting tools are good at circulating dust throughout the house. When this happens, the pollutants fill your home, interfering with indoor air quality. Therefore, you should invest in dusting tools that trap dirt and dust instead of spreading it in your home.
Replace Air Filters
Allergens thrive in poorly ventilated areas. It’s, therefore, vital to ensure your home is adequately ventilated, or at least the indoor air isn’t contaminated. As far as cleansing the indoor air is concerned, most homeowners depend on air conditioners. These appliances come with air filters that trap dirt, dust, and other debris, preventing them from accumulating in your home. Unfortunately, since some allergens like mold and bacteria are tiny, they slip through the filters. As a result, they circulate through the ductwork and are blown back to your home. To prevent this, invest in high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. These filters are high-quality and don’t allow allergens to pass through. However, you should replace them after three months for effectiveness.
The Bedroom Tips for Allergy Free Home
The bedrooms are the other areas where allergens will likely accumulate and spread quickly. Allergen presence in bedrooms causes sneezing and other breathing system conditions. For example, sleeping in a room with allergens can cause asthma, which can be life-threatening, especially for children. It’s advisable to deep-clean the bedrooms at least once a week. Luckily, you can easily clean your bedrooms and eradicate all allergens. Follow these steps for an effective cleaning procedure:
Replace Bedsheets And Pillowcases
It’s crucial to replace the bedding as regularly as possible. If possible, change bed sheets, pillowcases, and duvet covers daily. This keeps the beds clean, fresh, and allergen-free. It’s also advisable to settle for washable pillowcases, mattress covers, and duvet covers to make the washing easy.
Clean The Bedding
After replacing the bedding, clean the dirty ones as soon as possible. You don’t want the allergens on your soiled bedding to circulate and fill your home. The bedding should be cleaned at least once a week. Nevertheless, you can wash them whenever necessary. Suppose you’re allergic, avoid drying the bedding under the sun. This is because outdoor pollen will likely settle on the bedding and enter your home as you take the sheets inside.
Keep The Mattress Clean
It’s believed that a dirty or old mattress can shelter at least 10 million dust mites. Sleeping on such a mattress can negatively impact your health. For this reason, it’s advisable to ensure your mattress is always clean. Unfortunately, cleaning a mattress is among the almost-impossible tasks. However, adding a mattress topper or cover can keep your mattress clean. These items can be easily washed, preventing allergens and sweat from accessing the mattress. Suppose your mattress is already old. In that case, it might be the ideal time to replace it. Invest in a new one and take precautions to prevent it from getting dirty quickly.
Wash The Curtains Regularly And Blinds
This tip doesn’t only apply when cleaning and allergy-proofing your bedrooms only. It should also apply to the curtains and blinds in your entire home. Curtains and blinds are ideal spots where allergens seek shelter. It’s, therefore, vital to keep these surfaces clean. Wash the washable curtains and dust the binds. If your blinds are washable, consider washing them occasionally.
Invest In Air Purifiers
As the name suggests, air purifiers purify indoor air, eliminating contaminants. Suppose you’re yet to invest in air purifiers. Consider doing so to be sure you and your loved ones aren’t exposed to allergens as you sleep.
Clean The Toys
When cleaning the bedrooms, don’t forget to wash and sanitize your children’s toys. Mold, dust mites, and pet dander can access the toys and contaminate them. Children love putting things in their mouths, so they can quickly welcome allergens in their system, resulting in illnesses. Fortunately, most toys can be washed in washing machines or dishwashers. You can also clean the toys with a mixture of water and vinegar. Experts advise cleaning the toys at least once in two weeks, especially if your children are allergic.
The Kitchen
Now that you’re done with the living room and bedrooms, it’s time to concentrate on the kitchen. Dusting the cabinetry and countertops is the first step in keeping your kitchen clean and allergen-free. Dust and allergens accumulate on these surfaces and can quickly multiply if you don’t take the necessary actions. Use household detergents to wipe the countertops and shelves, then disinfect the surfaces. Your fridge is another area in the kitchen where allergens like mold thrive. Since fridges are always wet, they make a perfect breeding zone for mold. That said, wipe the excess moisture to discourage growth. You should also get rid of expired food to keep the fridge fresh.
Bathrooms
Deep cleaning your bathrooms is a challenging yet necessary task. They’re the ideal breeding grounds for mold since they experience a high moisture rate. Therefore, scrubbing the bathroom walls, floors, sinks, and toilets is vital. Afterward, disinfect them to kill the remaining allergens and bacteria. It’s also vital to wash bathroom mats and dry them thoroughly. Leaving them wet will encourage mold growth that will later spread to other surfaces. Ensure the bathroom is always dry to prevent moisture accumulation. If there are any leaks, have them repaired as soon as possible.
Keep Your Pets Clean for Allergy Free Home
Like humans, pets can also develop allergies. Therefore, as a pet parent, you should prevent your pet’s exposure to allergens. Among the best ways to keep allergens away from your pets is bathing them regularly. This gets rid of allergens clinging to their fur. However, how regularly you clean your pet depends on their fur length, their activity, or if they’re allergic. Pets can also be a source of allergens. When they shed loose fur, it accumulates in your home and can cause allergies if they access your breathing system. For this reason, brush your pet regularly to remove loose fur before it falls off and accumulates in your home.
Conclusion
Your home is where you spend most of your time. This is a place to unwind and have a great time with family and friends. Therefore, nothing should threaten your stay in your home. Unfortunately, some homes aren’t that safe for their owners. They’re contaminated with allergy-causing bacteria, which threaten the homeowners’ well-being. Suppose you’re living in such a home. You shouldn’t despair. The above-discussed tips will help you keep your home clean and allergy-free. If the entire cleaning procedure sounds challenging, don’t hesitate to seek help from professional home cleaners.