If you have asthma or allergies and have been told you need to eliminate allergens from your home, take heart. There are some very easy steps you can take right now to significantly reduce allergens in your home. Yes, there are some harder things you’re going to need to do as well (sorry!), but even those will be easier once you get started.
Allergens are substances that trigger an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals. Common allergens found in the home are dust, animal dander, molds, insects and house dust mites. Irritants are not allergens, but they can trigger a similar reaction in sensitive people as well. Examples of irritants include tobacco smoke, paint fumes and aerosol spray cosmetics such as hair spray. Reducing both of these things in the home is an important part of allergy treatment.
It’s probably best to start with the easiest things you can do. Try these measures first in the bedroom of the allergic person, moving on to the other bedrooms and rest of the house. You’ll want to get more specific instructions from your allergist, but these suggestions will get you well on your way to an allergen-proof home.
One of the most common allergens is dust, and it’s also relatively easy to reduce if you follow a few guidelines. Weeding out the clutter will go a long way toward reducing dust in your home. Basically, anything in your home, from shelves to furniture to knick-knacks is a dust catcher. Likewise with clutter – those stacks of magazines, toys, and folded clothes also provide the perfect place for dust to collect. This is where you need to be ruthless – eliminate as many books, toys, pictures, unused clothes and linens as you can. Regular dusting and keeping closet doors closed will also keep dust to a minimum.
Dust mites are also a problem for many people with allergies. These tiny insects live off the dead skin that we shed, and while the insects themselves are relatively harmless, their excrement and decomposing bodies are extremely irritating. Mattresses, pillows and upholstered furniture are among the dust mite’s favorite feeding grounds so extra care is in order here.
Again, initially focus on the bedroom since much of our time is spent there. Old mattresses are notorious for dust mites, so if possible purchase a new mattress and box spring. Your mattress should be no more than 10 years old. Cover them with special mattress covers designed to reduce allergen exposure. New pillows are important also, and special pillow covers can be purchased as well. Wash bedding weekly in hot water (130 degrees F) and dry in a hot dryer. Minimize stuffed toys and wash them weekly as well.
Previous research suggested that synthetic pillows were preferable to feather pillows for patients with allergies. However, recent evidence suggests that allergen levels appear to be decreased in feather pillows, possibly because of the tighter casing necessary to contain the feathers. There are tests on the market that you can use in the home to measure the level of dust mites; these can also be used to check your efforts at dust mite control.
Cockroach and mouse allergen is receiving increasing attention as researchers learn more about their role in allergic disease. Again, it is the excrement and decaying bodies of these animals that cause the allergic symptoms. Put food away and store garbage in covered containers, preferably outside. Thorough cleaning and extermination measures help a great deal, and these efforts needn’t be costly. Dr. Eggleston said a recent study showed that cleaning with ordinary liquid bleach is effective in reducing cockroach allergen. (The sodium hydrochloride in liquid bleach destroys the proteins in cockroach allergen.)
What if you live in an apartment building… won’t the cockroaches just come back from the other apartments? Dr. Eggleston observed, “If you remove the things that attract them to begin with – in the inner-city, it’s open garbage cans that people don’t put out; in your house, it might be pet food or Frito’s if you haven’t put them in a plastic container – they won’t come back in. They will stay in the apartment next door.”
Reducing indoor humidity to less than 50 percent will prevent mold and discourage roaches as well. Avoiding irritants such as aerosolized cosmetics and tobacco smoke is also important.