Regular housecleaning is an absolute necessity for anyone that suffers from allergies. It is particularly important if there are children in the house with allergies too. If you suffer from allergies, it is best to get another member of the household to do the cleaning for you. If that isn’t option, always wear a mask on dusty or dirty jobs. Here at Clean 4 U, we’ve come up with a go-to-guide of quick tips to cleaning your home for allergy sufferers.
Minimise Dust
If your allergies are minimal, you can get away with vacuuming once or twice a week. If they’re more intense, it’s best to hoover once a day. Always invest in a HEPA filter, they are the only ones on the market that will suck up the smallest allergens and keep them locked away. Keep clutter to an absolute minimum. Having stuff lying around means more places to clean and more things for dust and allergens to hide under.
No Mould
Try to keep bathrooms, bedrooms and kitchens free of mould and mildew. Particularly important is the bedroom – you’re going to be breathing heavily in your sleep, you don’t want to be breathing in harmful mould spores all night! Scrub bathroom tiles at least once a week and disinfect the shower curtain too. The majority of shower curtains can be put in the washing machine for a nice hot wash too. If you have low levels of ventilation in the bedroom, towel dry the bath or shower area, as well as tiles. It’s highly advisable to invest in a good dehumidifier. They can do wonders for the moisture levels in the air, which also reduces the risk of mould in the walls – especially important for bedrooms.
Bed Sheets and Clothes
Wash all sheets and clothing on at least a 50 Celsius wash, it’s guaranteed to kill dust mites lurking in the fabric. This should include any bed time teddies for the kids too. Try to avoid heavily fragranced detergents. They may smell divine but they can easily trigger symptoms. There are plenty of pleasant fragrance-free products on the market that will do the job for you. When it comes to drying laundry, avoid air-drying outside. Clothes and sheets can pick up pollen and other airborne allergens on the wind.
Clean
Outside, Clean Inside
Sweep or vacuum the outside of your home and provide doormats for visitors to wipe their feet on. The less dirt and debris outside, the less that will be tracked into your home by people visiting. If your allergies are particularly bad, consider banning shoes from the home entirely!
Change with the Seasons
In summer, try to avoid opening windows and letting pollen/allergens in. Try investing in an air conditioning unit, it will keep the house fresh and the air feeling clean. In the winter time, clean mould and condensation from the windows, window frames and window sills on a daily basis. It’s best to use a solution of chlorine bleach to destroy as much of the mould as possible. The ideal solution is 3/4 cup of chlorine bleach to 1 gallon of water.
