Cleaning for Sensitive Allergies
Chances are if you have sensitive allergies, you already know the importance of keeping a clean house. A clean house actually can help reduce allergy symptoms and help you lead a more comfortable life.
However, allergies also can get in the way of keeping a house clean, which is why some people get stuck in a terrible cycle: You may not want to clean because cleaning stirs up your allergies, and not cleaning causes your allergies to get worse.
Let’s talk about how people with sensitive allergies can use a few helpful strategies to live in a cleaner house without triggering their allergies.
Why a Clean House Prevents Allergy Problems
Some spaces in your home are more likely to cause allergy problems than others. Keeping a house neat and clean can reduce the amount of dust mites, mold, mildew, pet dander and pollen that you are exposed to.
Dusty corners, damp bathrooms and dirty pet areas can wreak havoc on someone who suffers from allergies. A clean house, on the other hand, means fewer opportunities for the growth of common allergens.
Pay Attention to Your Individual Allergy Triggers
It is so important to pay attention to your own unique allergy triggers! If you don’t know what triggers you, it can be hard to avoid feeling the frustrating symptoms of seasonal and environmental allergies.
No one is triggered by exactly the same things in exactly the same ways. You may live with someone such as a spouse or child who also has allergies but experiences them differently than you.
You may want to work with your doctor or allergist to help you know for sure what your body is sensitive to.
Common Allergy Triggers
According to MedicineNet, some common household allergy triggers include:
House dust.
Mold spores.
Pollen.
Fabrics.
Dust mites.
Cockroaches.
Cat dander.
Dog dander.
Pet rodents.
Horsehair.
Houseplants.
The symptoms of these allergies include itchy and watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, itchy throat, nasal congestion, post-nasal drip and respiratory symptoms of asthma.
Additionally, some people experience allergies to certain cleaning products and solutions.
One of the reasons you need to know your allergy triggers is that you only can protect yourself from exposure if you know what you need to avoid being exposed to. For example, if you are allergic to your chosen cleaning product, you could be stirring up your allergies at the same time that you are trying to reduce dust mites.
If you have hayfever, you may experience strong allergic reactions to keeping your windows open at night, even if you think it would help prevent moisture from building up in certain areas of your house.
Tips for Cleaning If You Have Allergies
If you have allergies, there are some useful strategies you can use to keep a clean, orderly home in order to reduce symptoms and avoid the frustrating experience of stirring up more symptoms:
Clean frequently.
Reduce clutter, which can collect dust.
Limit pets’ access to certain rooms of the house.
Use a HEPA-filter vacuum cleaner on your carpeted areas.
Wash your bed linens regularly—they can collect a lot of dust and dander!
Know When to Get Help for Certain Tasks
There is one other thing that we think is really important: asking for help!
If you suffer from severe allergies, you may benefit from a policy of abstaining from certain cleaning tasks altogether. Consider asking someone else in your household to manage certain cleaning tasks so that you can avoid the triggers that cause your allergies to flare.
Of course, if you go that route, you might want to offer to do something that the other person doesn’t want to do or can’t do as well!
What About Bringing in a Professional?
Lots of people hire professional house cleaners specifically because of allergy concerns! Perhaps there is no one else who can help with the allergy-causing tasks, or perhaps it would be easier just to outsource the job altogether!
Hiring a professional house cleaner allows you to avoid the allergy cycle altogether. Your house stays cleaner and doesn’t accumulate as many allergens, and you don’t have to do the work that stirs up your allergies in the first place!
To learn more about how our cleaning services can keep you happier and healthier, give us a call! We offer custom services that meet your needs and keep you feeling great.