March 5, 2008 | Allergies, asthma, Health, Cleaning tips

Spring is on its way, or maybe it’s already arrived where you are. But that also means allergy season is upon us! I don’t know about you, but that makes me cringe. Runny noses, itchy eyes and all sorts of other fun things. I’m sure Kleenex loves this time of year, but I could do without the allergies. So here are a few little cleaning tips to pass the spring with fewer sneezes.

• Sweep your entry ways - the less you’re tracking in, the easier it’ll be to keep the dust in your home and the allergens under control
• Invest in a new welcome mat - same reason as above. Those things don’t last forever, you know?
• Dust with a damp feather duster. Dust will cling to it rather than being kicked up into the air. House dust is one of the biggest allergens, and keeping it under control will help keep your allergies contained.
• Look for dust in places you might not regularly clean - on top of tall furniture, your ceiling fans, air vents, light fixtures, etc.
• Wash your linens in hot water. Dust mites are another big cause of allergies and asthma, and you need hot water to really get rid of them.
• Close your windows, especially at night. Air conditioners will help filter the air, whereas outdoor air will bring in more allergens.
• Vacuum once or twice weekly with a HEPA-filtered vacuum. More frequent vacuuming could actually make your allergies worse.
• Change your air filters. Yes, obvious, but necessary! And when you change your filters, remember to go ahead and clean your air vents.
• Control cockroaches (and let’s hear a communal “eww, gross!”). No one wants cockroaches in their home, but not many of us are aware that they actually trigger allergies and asthma. You can use Borax to control them, but you’ll want to be careful using it if you have small children or pets. Borax can be harmful if swallowed, so limit its use to places cockroaches are going to congregate - dark damp places, in cabinets, under the kitchen sink, etc.

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1. matt says:

   
   

   Great post, great tips! And, agreed about the vaccuming frequency. We have a Hepa-filter unit and I always sneeze a bunch after most runs with it.

   March 6th, 2008 at 1:23 am

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