Spring cleaning might seem the ideal solution to ridding your home of the dust and mites that can trigger asthma and allergies. But there’s more to achieving an allergy-free home than simply dusting and vacuuming behind the sofa.
Half-hearted cleaning does little more than move dust from spot to another while using certain cleaning products that contain chemicals can also add to the problem and actually make asthma and allergies worse.
Here are 5 tips to ensure your spring cleaning keeps your home and health in tip-top condition.
Keep dust to a minimum by using moist cloths or disposable wet dusting cloths to stop the dust going into the air. You can also buy dry dusters that are specially formulated to trap dust and stop it spreading.
Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter, which removes dust and allergens more effectively than a normal vacuum.
If you have a pet, you need to deal with the pet dander that your animal will naturally shed – this is a combination of dead skin and hair, which will get into carpets, soft furnishings and clothing. Keep your pets out of the bedroom at all times and change your bed regularly, washing linens in a wash of at least 40˚ to get rid of any unwanted dander or mites. Use anti-allergy bed linens.
Mould and dampness can be a major irritant to asthma sufferers and those with allergies. Air rooms thoroughly and use cleaning products to clean and kill any mould.
Take down curtains regularly and air or wash them to remove any dust or mites. If possible, replace curtains with blinds that can be wiped down and reduce the amount of dust in a room.
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