Home cleaning may make your house look better, but it can make the cleaner feel worse—especially when it triggers annoying allergy symptoms. Allergy sufferers, these home cleaning tips for households with allergies are an important part of keeping those inconvenient allergy symptoms at bay and get a sparkling clean house.
Wear a mask.
Masks keep tiny particles out, which can be invaluable when those tiny particles (i.e. dust mites, pet dander, etc.) trigger allergy symptoms. Allergy sufferers should always wear a mask when vacuuming, dusting, or doing any other cleaning task. This simple home cleaning tips for households with allergies may not make cleaning more fun, but it does help minimize the chance of an allergy attack.
Remove clothes in a designated area for immediate laundering, and keep it clean.
One of the easiest ways to avoid allergy symptoms is to prevent them. A simple way to prevent them is to remove and launder clothes after being outside. This can be done in a designated area, ideally a laundry room, before heading into other areas of the house. Clothes should be bagged or immediately laundered after removal to keep allergens from getting into main living areas and bedrooms.
Make vacuuming a priority.
Carpets trap allergens, and vacuuming removes allergens from carpet. It also removes allergens from rooms with hard flooring. For optimal allergen removal, home owners should look for vacuums with HEPA filters and other key features that keep allergens from entering the air. A regular vacuuming is an integral part of house cleaning for households with allergies—and an easy way to avoid allergy symptoms.
Avoid scented cleaners.
This home cleaning tip for households with allergens applies to almost every cleaning task. Cleaners with perfumes are a common trigger of allergy symptoms, including laundry detergents and surface cleaners. Instead, households with allergies should look for products without additives to prevent keep allergen triggers out of the home.
Launder bed linens and towels regularly.
It’s important to keep allergens away from the face, and a basic way to do that is to launder bed linens and towels in hot water (with perfume-free detergent). Unfortunately, bed linens may hold some common household allergens, such as dust mites and pollen. After laundering, avoid hanging bed linens outside where they can pick up outdoor allergens.
Scrub bathroom mold away.
Mold is a common allergen that is most often found in bathrooms. The moisture in a bathroom breeds mold and creates and ideal environment for mold to grow. Fortunately, mold can be prevented and removed. A bathroom exhaust fan is an easy way to remove moisture and prevent mold growth. The fan should be used during showers and baths. When cleaning the bathroom, a good scrubbing removes mold from all surfaces. Again, cleaners should always wear a mask when cleaning to avoid contact with allergens.
Clear away clutter.
Unfortunately, knick knacks and items attract dust. A quick pick-up removes clutter, and this common household allergen. In addition to picking up clutter, it’s also a good idea to avoid window treatments made of fabric. Instead, choose blinds or other hard-surface window treatments for living areas and bedrooms.
Bring in the professionals.
Of course, the easiest way to clean up allergens—and avoid allergy attacks—is to bring in the professionals. Professional home cleaners can maintain a strict cleaning schedule that regularly removes allergens from the home. To find the right service, contact the cleaning service and ask them these interview questions for cleaners. (One of the questions should be whether they use perfume-free cleaners.) A local home cleaning service can come in and clean, making the home look great and removing allergens without the allergy attack.
