Cleaning a house or an apartment becomes more difficult when it is inhabited by people prone to allergies. So, how to perform a correct cleaning in this case? Allergies can manifest from early childhood and can appear at any age or place, from any material, food, animal or plant. So, here are some tips for cleaning your house if some of your family members-suffer from allergy and asthma.
So, How Can I Clean My Apartment Then?
The rule #1 in the fight against allergies is to eliminate everything in the apartment that causes an allergic reaction. Therefore, many people who love domestic animal-soften are forced to give them away to friends, if it turns out that one of the family members cannot live next to a cat or a dog. However, not only animals can cause allergies.People are allergic to food as well.After you have established an unpleasant reaction to a product/food item, it simply needs to be excluded from the menu and kitchen.
In accordance with numerous allergy asthma immunology studies, a huge number of people are allergic to the dust. You have to consider it every time you clean the apartment. To begin with, it is still necessary to get rid of so-called “dust collectors”– soft toys, decorative pillows, rubber rugs etc.
If you don’t want to remove these things from the home, we recommend you to periodically clean or wash them. Wrap a damp cloth or gauze, and remove the dust from them carefully. Another way is to wrap them in a bag and put in a freezer for a while as the dust mites are afraid of too high and too low temperatures. However, you can do more. Here’s a short list of the most effective cleaning tips for allergy and asthma sufferers:
- Clothes, magazines, and books should be stored in closed closets. It is best to keep these cabinets away from the room in which the allergy and asthma sufferers sleep, in order to reduce the allergic reactions.
- A large amount of dust accumulates in carpets, rubber rugs, upholstery of the furniture, mattresses, feather pillows, and woolen or cotton blankets etc. It is best to use synthetic pillows and blankets, and wash them once a month.
- It is necessary to vacuum upholstered furniture and carpets at least twice a week.And once in every half year it is necessary to order dry cleaning of sofas at home.
- Scrub the carpets once every week.
- Change the bed linen minimum once a week and do not forget that it is necessary to wash linen using special, anti-allergenic powders to ensure a better result. When cleaning, the bed is best dried in the cold or sun. In the open air, it is also worth cleaning carpets, knocking them out in the snow or under the sun, and periodically it is necessary to do a dry cleaning of carpets at home.
- Take out the trash as often as possible. It is even better to place the garbage can outside daily!
- In order to prevent an attack of allergy in your family, you need to pay attention to cleaning the ceilings and walls of the house. What to do? Best of all, try to cover your walls with hypoallergenic paint or cork wallpaper. These cover ages accumulate least dust and are much easier to clean.
- Wipe the dust daily.
- If you are the allergy sufferer, it is important to always wear mask when cleaning, taking out the trash etc. It is also a good idea to wear gloves.
- Keep the right humidity level to avoid a moldy smell in the house.
- Mold can also be a strong allergen. This is why it is very important to clean it as much as possible in the bathroom and toilet. Pay special attention to places where mold can accumulate. If your house has air conditioning, then it should be cleaned weekly. In addition, it is best to ventilate the apartment as often as possible – leave the windows open whenever you leave the house (and don’t forget to clean the windows regularly).
Compliance with all these rules will ease the health and comfort of you and your family members.
It is also necessary to have a good anti-allergy vacuum cleaner.They are a great cleaning option. A special anti-allergy vacuum cleaner has unique HEPA filters that keep the allergens in a dust bag (or water filter). Plus, they prevent the allergic reactions.
What to Do With Your Pets?
Many people are wondering if it is possible to keep domestic animals at home even if their family members are allergic to them. Of course, pets often cause allergies. Typically, the main allergens are the skin particles and animal hair, but also saliva, sweat, urine, and other excreta.
Cats cause allergies more often, especially in children who suffer from asthma. However, animals like birds, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rats can also cause asthma symptoms. These may include a runny nose, sneezing, itching in the eyes, and a rash on the skin. An allergic property does not depend on the length of the coat. Even a horse, which does not live in a house, can be a strong allergen.Thus, the best advice for asthma sufferers is not to keep pets that cause allergies.
Animal wool and excretions stick well to clothing and furniture. For very sensitive people, an asthma attack can appear even from a contact with clothing that belongs to the animal’s owner. Thus, even at schools teachers should make sure that a child, who has a severe allergy to animals, is not sitting in the vicinity of children who have these animals.
This can simply be dangerous. Also, keep in mind that allergens remain in the house for 5-6 months even after the removal of the animal. In fact, they can get into public transport along with the clothing of the animal’s owners.
However, do not get too upset! If it’s very difficult for you to part with your favorite animal, then:
- Keep him on the street or the kitchen-corridor and do not let him go into the bedroom
- Avoid direct contact with the animal. If it’s not possible, wash your hands right after the contact
- Regularly wash the animal to minimize the risks
- Consider buying special anti-allergy medicine
