How to Reduce Allergens in Your Home

If you or your family members are prone to allergies, the best step to take is to reduce allergens in your home. Make your home a refuge against the daily allergens that your family encounters. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, one in four Americans suffer from some type of allergy or from asthma. Following one or more the steps in this article will help you to reduce allergens in your home.

Instructions

• 1

  Keep your doors and windows shut to reduce allergens in your home. If you like to open your house to "air it out", what you are really doing is letting plenty of allergens into your home. Pollen and mold spores can easily travel through screened windows and doors, so keep them closed whenever possible.

• 2

  Control the humidity in your home to keep mold in check. Mold thrives in humid locations so the rule of thumb is keep the humidity in your home at or below 50. Keep a dehumidifier in your basement if you have one. Bathrooms, kitchens and basement should be cleaned often. Consider moving your house plants outdoors since they often harbor mold and other allergens.

• 3

  Have a whole house air filtration system installed inline with your central heating and cooling system. If you are installing a new central air and heat system the cost will be minimal. Also, if there is enough space near your existing heating and cooling system then modifying the duct work to install a whole house air filtration system can be accomplished for a reasonable cost. The air filtration system at a minimum should be a HEPA system with replaceable filters.

• 4

  If you are not able to add a whole house air filtration system to your central heating and cooling system or you do not have a central air system, you can instead utilize portable air filtration units. These units will do a good job of reducing allergens in the rooms where you place them. They are best used in sleeping areas. Check the recommendations for room sizes and effective particle removal (HEPA equivalent) to effectively remove the most allergens.

• 5

  Frequently pay attention to dust mites in your home. Dust mites are major allergens to most people with allergies and asthma. Encase both your pillow and mattresses in allergen-impermeable covers. Wash the bedding in your home every week in water that is greater than 130 degrees F to further reduce dust mites and allergens where you sleep.

• 6

  Inspect your house for leaks. Allergens, mice, and cockroaches can enter very smalls cracks or holes in your home. Replace weather-stripping around windows and doors. Caulk or use expanding insulation around holes in your house such as electrical boxes, utility lines, windows, and foundation cracks. Make sure you have screens on external vent holes such as ceiling vents.

• 7

  If it is time to update flooring in your home, switch from carpet to hard floors like hardwood, laminate, vinyl, or ceramic. The bedrooms are the first place to make the change since you will spend on average over one third of your day there. Carpet is a perfect environment for dust mites and other allergens to fester. Changing from carpet to hard floors will reduce the allergens that are harmful to your family.

  In many homes built before the 1960's hardwood floors were built in many areas of the United States instead of plywood or osb flooring. It may be worth checking under some of the carpeted areas of your home if your house was built before the 1960's to see what you have. Old hardwood floors cost less than half of the cost to have professionally refinished than installing new carpet.

  If you have to keep the carpet, make sure you have it steam cleaned frequently to reduce allergens. Since regular vacuuming will not remove dust mites from carpet, the heat from the steam is needed to kill the dust mites so they can be removed.