Although your home is your haven, sometimes, some unwanted visitors can sneak inside, and one of the most problematic issues is allergens. Allergies affect over 20% of Americans, and it can make your house uncomfortable and affect your overall health drastically. Medications can help relieve these symptoms, but only temporarily. The best way you can fight this long-term is by ensuring a clean home and a healthy you.
Whether you’re currently shopping for house and land packages in your city or have a preexisting home, here are practical tips to fight against seasonal allergies while staying indoors.
Dust Effectively
Several allergens such as dust and mold are common allergy triggers. When dusting, make sure you clean following a top to bottom motion to prevent spreading the dust on areas you’ve just cleaned. Plus, don’t brush using a standard feather duster or cloth as they can’t get all the particles. It’s best to use a damp microfiber cloth to trap the dust and clean efficiently.
Vacuum Regularly
Besides regularly vacuuming, ensure your vacuum cleaner has a HEPA filter as some allergens are microscopic, meaning they’re so small that they can pass right through regular vacuum filters. This means that every time you vacuum, you can just be spreading them around the room instead of cleaning your home, letting you breathe in the allergens.
Don’t Forget Your Filters
A critical part of ensuring your home is allergen-free is by checking if your filters are in good shape and clean, such as those in your HVAC system. If you don’t have any filters, it’s best to add one to your house. A HEPA filter is ideal for single rooms, while for a larger area, a central HVAC system is recommended.
Stay Hydrated
When your respiratory and digestive system gets dehydrated, your immune systems cause a ‘rebound’ effect that leads to allergic reactions, including a runny nose, sneezing, or coughing. One of the healthiest and most efficient ways you can fight this is by staying hydrated. ;
It’s best if you follow the standard recommendation of 8 glasses every day and doing practices like drinking 2 to 3 cups of water after waking up and waiting at least 30 minutes before eating and drinking. Making these changes can improve your respiratory and digestive system’s health, relieving your allergic symptoms.
Use Nasal Spray and Steam
If taking care of your home and taking prescribed medicine from your doctor doesn’t do the trick, it may be time to use nasal spray and steam to manage your seasonal allergies. These are crucial in managing congestion and post-nasal drip, relieving inflammation, and swelling caused by allergies, helping you breathe easier. Consult with your physician, which one would work best for your situation.
Always Wash Pillows and Covers
Although diving into your comfy bed seems like the best thing to do right after a long day at work, you may be met by unexpected visitors as well — dust mites. That’s why you should clean your duvet and pillow covers regularly.
Minimize Mold
Mold is known to trigger most allergy sufferers, and one of their favorite places to live in is your bathroom. Thanks to its natural accumulation of moisture and damp environment. That’s why you should clean your bathrooms regularly, ensuring to dry off surfaces that collect water, like the top of the toilet or sides of your sinks. Doing this reduces the chances of any allergic reactions happening.
These tips can help you eliminate many allergy triggers, helping relieve your symptoms in the long run, making your home healthier, cleaner, and allergen-free.
