Most people think of allergies as being an affliction which only affects people when they are outdoors during the early summer months. While dust can make people cough and sneeze when they are outdoors, many harmful allergens can actually be found in the beds and carpeting inside our homes every day. It seems that each allergy season is worst than the last one and whether you are allergic to dust or pollen, it's no fun being itchy and sneezey all the time. Here are a few things you can do around your home to help reduce the allergens around you:
Change air filters in your home: Your home probably has lots of air filters that you do not always remember to change. Most homes with forced air heat will have a whole house or furnace filter that should be changed every three to five months. You can easily learn how to change a home filter in just a few minutes. A dirty air filter can clock air flow and actually start to blow out pollen and other allergens if it is not replaced regularly. Most air filters are affordable and easy to replace regularly. Using a plug-in air purifier is a good idea only if you change the filter on a regular basis. A quick filter replacement can really pay for itself by reducing your utility bill.
Install hardwood floors: If you suffer with allergies, then you may want to remove your rugs. Most allergy doctors recommend flooring that is easy to clean and doesn't trap dust, animal dander and other allergens. Smooth flooring like hardwood, laminate, tile or even vinyl are all better options for people with allergies. Full room carpeting is the most harmful kind of flooring you can have in a home you have allergies because it attracts so many pollen particles. If you currently have good hardwood floors under your rugs you can probably pull them up yourself, though you will need to learn how to remove carpet staples.
Clean regularly: The simplest way to keep your home dust-free is to vacuum the floors on a regular schedule. A good house cleaning once every other month can make a huge difference in the air cleanliness in your home. If you have a vacuum you'll also want to replace the filters in it regularly as well. Many people with bad allergies actually pay for a house cleaning service in conjunction with their own cleaning.
You don't have to be miserable in your own home during the long allergy season. With a little work your home can be an oasis from the powdery pollen of the outdoors and the itchy eye-inducing dust of indoors. Devoting just fifteen minutes a day to cleaning your house could make such a difference that you may even be able to do without those allergy medications you have come to rely on!
Need to learn even more about keeping your house dust free? You can read a first-person account of duct cleaning costs and decide if it's actually worth it for your home.
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