With all the invisible pollutants present in the environment, the home should be a place where you and your family’s bodies can be free from allergens. Here are some steps to make your home allergen-proof:

1. According to a study from the Wright State University, homes that had 50% or less humidity were less prone to invasions from dust mites and other small bugs that could cause skin allergies and even asthma attacks.

To maintain a particular level of humidity at home, you need to use a dehumidifier at home (this applies most especially if you are using air conditioning). To measure the constant humidity in your home, consider buying a hygrometer.

2. To prevent molds from taking root in your home (or at least reduce the number of spores floating in the air), remove anything that has become wet (like carpeting) immediately. Have those things washed and dried first before bringing those items back home.

3. Carpets are notorious hotbeds for dust mites and fungi. If you really want a carpet in your home, consider buying a small one that is easy to clean regularly. Don’t buy large carpeting that will cover most of your living room - because these things are hard to clean and keep dry. If you have kids at home, spills on carpets are fairly common and this might attract molds.

4. According to Dr. Jonathan Bernstein from the University of Cincinnati Medical Sciences Center, vacuuming must be done regularly at home - at least once every 7 days. Doing this would greatly reduce the amount of allergens you have at your home, so low that you your allergies would be held at bay.

5. Avoid smoking at home, because second hand smoke has been known to make asthma and other respiratory conditions worse. Better yet, avoid smoking all together!

6. Adequately ventilated homes are a must - so make sure that your windows are not closed all the time. Attic fans can also be switched on to help blow away all the accumulated allergens.

7. Perfumes and even air fresheners are a bad idea if you have allergies and if you are an asthmatic. To reduce your chances of suffering from an allergic reaction because of fumes, your home should be generally low-odor.

8. Dusting should also be done on a regular basis. Use moist cloth so you can trap the allergens instead of just letting the particles loose in the air again.

9. Too many decorations at home can attract large accumulations of allergens (e.g. dust). If you think a part of your home has too many decorations, consider reducing the number of decorations and dusting that area frequently to reduce the amount of allergens present.

10. If you have air conditioning at home, make sure that the filters are always clean. A weekly cleaning schedule is a good way to keep your air conditioning in top condition (and clean, too!)

Source:
prevention.com