Richa Madaan

Author
Richa Madaan

How to Create an Allergy-Friendly Environment at Home

  Mar 29, 2024
Reviewed by Ravinder Kaur

Allergy-Friendly Environment at Home

Key Takeaways

  • Adults in the United States of America are more prone to any kind of allergy than eczema or any other condition.
  • Setting limits on the pets in your home can help in managing an allergy-friendly environment.
  • Vacuum and dusting will make your home look tidy and will also lower the chance of any allergy.

In the United States, over 100 million Americans experience different types of allergic reactions every year. Whereas allergic reactions are not life-threatening, they can worsen if left untreated. Moreover, allergic reactions weaken the immune system, making you vulnerable to many infections like bacterial or fungal infections in the lungs, sinuses, skin, and ears.

If you have family members with allergic reactions, it is vital to keep your home free from allergens. To help you maintain an allergy-proof household, we have prepared a comprehensive guide for you.

Set Off Limits for Furry Friends

Besides the fur and skin they shed, pets could carry pollen, dirt, and grass, especially if they are outdoors during the day. These could lead to worsening symptoms of asthma and allergies, keeping you awake during nighttime. That is why your bedroom should be off-limits to your pets. 

Let us say you are taking medications for severe allergic reactions. For instance, if you are prescribed Methylprednisolone, its potency would be useless if you are always cuddling with your pets, who are unintentional carriers of allergens. To get the most out of your money, avail yourself of Methylprednisolone Savings and set off limits for furry friends. 

Leave Shoes Outside

Place doormats at the entrance of your home. This would catch dirt, dust, and pollen from your outdoor footwear. Moreover, make it a habit to remove your shoes and put them in a shoe rack outside. This way, you can ensure allergens stuck in your shoes can’t penetrate inside your house and trigger allergic reactions among family members.

You may use indoor slippers if uncomfortable walking barefoot inside the house. The same goes for guests. Offer them slippers indoors and ask them to leave their shoes outside. Inform them that your family members suffer from what type of allergy, so they would understand the situation.

Change Air Filters Regularly

It is also necessary to regularly inspect and change HVAC air filters. The cleanliness of your air filters influences the air quality inside your home. Air filters typically have fiberglass, which can catch animal fur, mold spores, dust, dirt, pollen, bacteria, and other microorganisms. 

When you regularly clean the air filters, you allow clean air to pass through the filters, ensuring the home is free from anything that could trigger allergies. In addition, changing air filters allows you to control temperature better, extend the life of your HVAC unit, lower repair frequency, and improve energy efficiency. 

Open Your Windows

Opening your windows allows fresh air to circulate inside your house, thus helping regulate humidity levels. This could benefit family members with allergies since dry and humid conditions can worsen allergies. 

However, consider pollen levels and seasons when opening your home windows. Keep them close during peak pollen times, typically during early morning and dry, windy days. 

If you are uncomfortable opening your window, invest in air conditioning systems, which could help with better air circulation and filtration indoors, maintaining humidity levels, and removing airborne allergens. 

Change Your Bedsheets

To avoid the buildup of dust mites, make it a habit to change your bedsheets once every 1–2 weeks. You should also wash your sheets at a higher temperature compared to when you are washing your clothes. Set the temperature around 40–60 degrees. 

Moreover, frequently washing and changing your sheets remove grime buildup, which could be one cause of infections. 

There could be some factors that could warrant more washing. For example, if you share a bed with a partner or sleep next to your pet. The hair and skin they shed could worsen your allergies, so if you can’t help it, just change your bed more frequently. 

Vacuum and Dust Regularly

You should vacuum the home’s floors, sofas, mattresses, and other upholstery. This would remove all allergies indoors. Use vacuums with HEPA filters to ensure that the tiniest particles get trapped and won’t be able to recirculate into the air when you are cleaning. 

Use a damp microfiber cloth with detergent to remove dust inside the home. This would altogether remove the dust and prevent allergic attacks when cleaning.

graph

In this graph, you can see that any allergic condition holds the biggest percentage of adults diagnosed in the United States of America as of 2021.

Declutter Your Rooms

The less clutter you have in your home, the easier it will be to spot dust and dirty particles. Moreover, clutter attracts dust and dust mites. This is why it is noteworthy to move bulky items when cleaning. If you intend to dispose of them, have the vacuum and damp microfiber cloth ready to directly remove the dust and dirt as you move things around. 

Use Air Purifier

Air purifiers are proven to remove concentrations of indoor allergens like dog dander, house dust mite (HDM) allergens, and pollen. This way, you can control allergy symptoms. You can also keep the air purifier on when you are sleeping. Just point clean air flow toward your breathing zones for better results. 

Final Thoughts

Allergies usually start mild, but without a doctor’s supervision and guidance, they could develop into more serious, life-threatening conditions. Besides taking medications and following the doctor’s orders, be proactive in creating an allergy-friendly environment at home by following the tips we have covered in this guide. 




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