Living with allergies or asthma can make it difficult to breathe easy, even when you are at home. This is because there are many allergens in your home that can be irritating to your respiratory system.
As a result, if you don’t stick to a strict cleaning regime, you can be adding to your own misery. The good news is you can adopt a weekly cleaning schedule or a professional home cleaning service designed to reduce common irritants that can worsen your allergy and asthma symptoms. Here are 12 ways to reduce allergies in your home by cleaning.
1. Use the right tools
First, investing in the best tools for the job can make a huge difference in capturing allergens in your home:
- Vacuum with a fine-particle HEPA filter vacuum, or double bag your existing vacuum to capture allergens.
- Use washable microfiber cleaning cloths and mops to capture dust.
- Use disposable synthetic dusting wipes and wands that use static to hold onto the dust instead of moving it around or releasing it into the air.
- Use dye-free, unscented laundry products to reduce skin irritation or that have scents that can cause your allergy symptoms to worsen.
2. Use the right personal protection equipment
Wear a disposable or washable mask and cotton-lined rubber gloves, so you are less likely to trigger allergy symptoms while cleaning.
3. Avoid irritating cleaning products
Use allergy-friendly cleaning products and avoid any containing:
- Ammonia
- D-limonene
- Formaldehyde
- Sodium hypochlorite
- Sodium lauryl sulphate
If you aren’t sure, be sure to read the labels to look for these irritants.
4. Make your own cleaners
Use homemade cleaning solutions with a mix of distilled white vinegar or lemon with baking soda as a natural scrubber. Vinegar on its own is also excellent for cleaning surfaces like glass and mirrors.
5. Control your environment
Keep your home as allergy-free as possible by controlling your environment:
- Keep your home thermostat set between 20˚C and 22˚C and a humidity level of no more than 50% to kill off dust mites.
- Remove clutter from shelves and tables that can act as dust magnets.
- Don’t smoke or allow smoking anywhere within the home.
If you have pet allergies, avoid having them in the home, or if you can’t do without the little critters, bathe them at least weekly and wash their bedding.
6. Clean bedding
Your sheets, pillowcases, and blankets need to be laundered in hot water weekly. Tumble dry instead of hanging dry as this can attract more allergens to your bedding. Don’t forget your pillows, which should be done at least once a month.
7. Dust weekly
Dust every room in the house weekly. Always start at the top of the room, including wiping away cobwebs, light fixtures, ceiling fans, and working your way down. This ensures you aren’t just moving the dust around.
8. Wash curtains and blinds
These are big dust and allergen collectors. Dust blinds weekly if possible, and choose curtains that can be thrown in the washer and dryer at least once a month. If you have drapes that can’t be washed, vacuum them down weekly.
9. Vacuum weekly
A thorough vacuuming every week keeps the dust to a minimum. You might want to do it more often if you have pets. If you have hardwood, sweep daily, using a static dry mop to attract dust, hair, dander, etc.
10. Reduce mould and mildew
Your bathroom and kitchen offer the perfect environment for mould and mildew growth. These are terrible allergy irritants that need some strict cleaning to reduce growth. Unfortunately, it takes harsh cleansers with chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide, or other chemicals to get rid of these irritants, so wear your gloves and mask.
Keep the fan on or open a window to keep the area well ventilated, and leave it on for at least an hour once you are done cleaning. It will often take some scrubbing to get rid of the mould and mildew. However, if you then spray your shower and bath area with a scrub free mould and mildew remover, you can keep growth at bay. Make sure you turn on the fan or crack open the window when showering or bathing to stop development.
Bonus Tip: If you have plants, cover the soil with rocks to reduce mould growth risk.
11. Clean entryway
You can easily track lots of dirt when walking in from your condo hallway. To reduce the amount of dirt you bring into your home, be extra diligent in cleaning your entryway. Use a mat to wipe your feet and vacuum it daily if you can. Also, always remove your shoes and keep them inside a closet, if possible, to reduce the spread of dust and other allergens.
12. Clean Window Sills
If you tend to open your windows often, be sure to clean your window sills each week. This removes pollen that can come in through the screens.
For more information about reducing allergies in your house by cleaning, call Maid4Condos at (647) 822-0601 or contact us here.
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