Reducing allergens in the home is an important task to keep the household breathing comfortably. An overabundance of allergens in the home can leave the family sneezing, itching, and coughing. Allergens can be anything from dust particles or mold all the way to dander from animals. There are a few easy ways to efficiently help reduce the allergens in your home.
Our Carrollton indoor air quality specialists at Lex Air Conditioning and Heating provide a few tips that you can perform at home to keep you breathing comfortably.
Keep Humidity Low In The Home
A great environment for allergens to thrive in, especially mold, is a damp, cool environment. Keeping the humidity low in the home by the use of a dehumidifier, air conditioner, and heating unit helps make it hard for allergens to thrive.
Keep Filters Clean
One of the easiest ways to help rid the home of allergens is to keep all of the filters in the heating and air unit clean. Clean coils, heat exchangers, and filters help ensure the air the family is breathing in the home is as clean as possible.
Check Furnishings Frequently
Allergens tend to accumulate in areas of the home such as drapes, upholstery, blinds, couches, and carpet. For items such as drapes, if it is possible to wash them, that is the best course of action. For items that can not be put in a washing machine such as blinds, couches, and carpets, it is imperative to keep these items clean by vacuuming frequently.
Launder Bedding Weekly
Allergens can easily attach themselves to bedding. Washing all bedding, including sheets, blankets, and pillowcases, weekly helps cut back on the allergens that are dealt with while sleeping at night. The best way to launder the bedding is to soak it in warm water with detergent and then wash it in warm water. This helps rid the bedding of any allergies that might want to cling to it even after washing.
Dust Frequently
Dusting frequently is imperative to help fight the battle of ridding the home of allergens. Dusting and vacuuming at least once if not more times a week helps ensure dust does not find a place in the home to stick around.
Use Ventilation Techniques Whenever Possible
Natural ventilation of the home helps fight against allergens. Opening windows when possible is the most natural form of ventilation. If opening windows is not an option due to climate or any other circumstance, using ceiling fans and exhaust fans helps ventilate the home also.
Reducing the allergens in the home requires constant upkeep. If the home is cleaned regularly and items such as bedding and draperies are washed regularly, the allergens in the home are greatly reduced. Ensuring filters and coils in heating and air units also significantly helps in the battle against ridding the home of allergens.