Maintaining An Allergy Proof Home
Whenever possible, the absolute best way to manage children’s seasonal and environmental allergies is to avoid a reaction altogether; that requires some effort, and is not always entirely possible, but working to maintain an allergy proof home will reduce the number and amount of allergens entering the child’s body and immune system which in turn will reduce the frequency and severity of child allergy attacks, and can help reduce (maybe eliminate) the need for medication (which in turn means lessened risk of negative side-effects).
Tips For Making An Allergy Proof Home
Truly (unfortunately), there is no way to completely allergy-proof a home; but with these tips you can significantly reduce levels of allergens in your home and in the air in your home.
Allergy proofing the home is a combination that is one part remodeling and redecorating, one part cleaning and maintenance. Here are the top things you can do to create an allergy proof home.
• Replace heavy drapes and curtains that collect and retain dust and mites
• Remove as much carpeting as possible and replace with hard flooring that does not trap dust, allergens, and mites—throw rugs on hard floors are better than wall to wall carpet and padding (which can never be cleaned completely); it is especially helpful to remove carpeting from the child’s bedroom.
• Replace any carpeting that has gotten wet or flooded—there is no way to dry the carpet and under-padding enough to avoid harmful mold growth
• Use dust covers to encase mattresses and pillows
• Remove bedding that is not down-filled
• Replace venetian-style/slatted blinds with solid blinds
• Buy low-allergen bedding products (duvets, covers, pillow cases, etc)
• Run dehumidifiers to reduce moisture (especially in basements, possibly kitchens) to prevent mold growth
• Install air cleaners—either a central whole-home air filter (cleaner or purifier) or one or more portable units (one should go in the child’s bedroom)
• Limit stuffed animals and plush toys
• Restrict animal access to children’s bedrooms, rugs, and upholstered furniture
• Have heating, cooling, and ventilation systems (furnaces, air conditioning, etc.) cleaned annually, including duct-work
• Vacuum floors daily, preferably with a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter
• Clean hard surfaces weekly
• Sanitize sinks, tubs, and showers as least weekly (avoid mold growth)
• Dust frequently, but avoid dry-dusting—use a dusting spray or cleaner
• Clean visible mold growth immediately with a solution of bleach (1 part bleach to 9 parts water)
• Steam clean bedding/mattresses, carpets, and upholstery periodically to kill dust mites
• Bathe animals weekly if children suffer from child animal allergies or when pets frequently track dust and allergens into the home
• Limit the use of fans that can blow allergens around the home
• Limit the use of window and attic fans that can draw pollen and allergens inside the home
• Clean fan blades to remove build-ups of dust, pollen, and allergens
• Keep windows closed on high-pollen days (consult local pollen counts daily)
• Use air conditioners as a clean alternative to fans and open windows (but remember to maintain units and filters to avoid internal allergen growth)
• Wash bedding weekly in hot water (kills dust mites/removes allergens)
• Clean curtains regularly
• Perform a complete whole-house cleaning one to four times per year—at least annually, but quarterly (with the change of seasons) is even better; a thorough late-summer/fall cleaning will remove build-up of allergens from the warm months, and a thorough spring cleaning will remove collected dust and trapped allergens that build-up over the months the home is closed
There is no doubt that maintaining an allergy-proof home requires a lot of work and a committed effort; but when allergies cause a child to suffer and limit their normal academic and social activity, controlling child allergies takes center stage. By making changes within the home and maintaining a good, regular cleaning regimen, life with child allergies becomes much easier and, more importantly, healthier, and children may be able to manage their allergies with little or no use of medications.
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