Allergies are not limited to pollen and dust flying around outside. Your home can be full of things that make you cough, wheeze and sneeze – especially where you sleep. Your bedroom is a prime allergen hot spot, but you don’t have to suffer if you employ the proper precautions.
Begin with the place where you can spend eight or more hours each day: your bed. Dust mites thoroughly enjoy romping about in your bedding, making themselves at home in your pillows, blankets, mattress and sheets. Using protective covers for all of your bedding is a good start at controlling dust mites, with covers available in various shapes and sizes. Washing your bedding in hot water every week and opting for synthetic fabrics are other good strategies.
Synthetic fabrics are also the way to go for curtains and blinds, both of which should be machine-washable and washed often. Dust mites, pollen and other allergens also thrive in carpets, on rugs and any other place that is soft and cushy. Hardwood floors, tiles or linoleum might not be your first aesthetic choice for a bedroom floor but it should be your first anti-allergy one. Regularly dust, sweep or vacuum floors and wash area rugs in hot water.
Soft, cushiony chairs, pillows and other dust-collecting bedroom décor can exacerbate your allergic reactions. Your best bet is to go for furniture and décor made of wood, leather, metal or other non-porous materials that are easy to clean. Even your knickknacks and dresser clutter can add to the allergy mix as veritable dust magnets. Whisking a duster around them only serves to transfer the dust from the objects to the air. Instead try a duster spray that you spritz on your duster or cloth to stop particles from soaring through the atmosphere.
Keeping your bedroom window closed during high-pollen season is an instant remedy. Rely on air conditioning when it gets too hot and stuffy. Windows are also prime areas for mold and other allergens. Keep the glass, panes and sills clean and free of bacteria with specialized mold, mildew and window cleaners.
Air filtration and purification units help cut down on your wheezing, coughing and sneezing. Filtration and purification devices are available as small, portable units or as large systems big enough to filter the air in your entire home. The smaller units are inexpensive, especially when compared to the large job they do, and quiet enough to let you sleep. Try one in your bedroom and, once you notice the difference, you can easily expand the system to cover more areas of your house. Direct the clean air output toward your face while you sleep to ensure you’re breathing the purest air available.
Your home should be comfortable and safe on all levels – and that includes a safe-zone from your allergies.
By Jacob Maslow ,For more information on strategies and products for allergy relief, please visit AllergyBeGone.com.
