Tips for Allergy Proofing Your Home

If you or a household member has severe allergies, some symptoms can be alleviated if you allergy-proof your home. 

Here are some ideas

1) If the allergies are severe enough, go to a doctor specializing in allergy treatment to have special testing done which will allow you, or your household member, to know exactly which allergens cause symptoms.  Some people are severely allergic to only one particular allergen while others have allergy symptoms from several allergens.  This way, you know exactly what you need to target.

2) Upgrade your vacuum cleaner and the air filter for your HVAC to HEPA filters that will screen out particles from the air down to sizes as small as 0.3 microns.  To give you some idea what that means, dust mites are normally between 200 and 300 microns, mold spores are between 10 and 30 microns, and pollens range in size from 10 microns to 1000 microns.  You need to replace the return air duct filter as specified by the manufacturer.  Some exceptional filters have instructions for air filter cleaning rather than replacement.

3) Clean your house thoroughly at least once a week, remembering to vacuum blinds and curtains to help remove allergens from them.  If you are still having problems after you have allergy-proofed your house, consider purchasing an air quality testing kit, which can help you identify what allergens are slipping through your allergy counter-measures.

4)  Consider having an HVAC unit cleaning, which is designed to remove dust and allergens from your house through air duct cleaning, compressor cleaning and coil cleaning. 

5)  Remember that new vacuum cleaner with the HEPA filter?  If you have a carpet, use it to vacuum carpets and rugs twice a week – carpets and rugs are excellent at trapping allergens and then releasing them when the carpet or rug is disturbed, for example when someone is walking over it.