Pollen, Dander, and Dust Mites… Oh My!
We love June! It’s officially summer time, the sun is shining, everything is looking vibrant and lively, and you’ve likely set up your patio to enjoy those weekend cocktails! It’s a beautiful thing and, if you’re anything like us, you’ve been thoroughly soaking it in!
We’re not the only ones who love the summer though – allergens love it too. Pet dander, pollen, dust mites, grass… these are all things that you should expect to see more of in your home when the warm weather arrives. And, if you forget to take care of those things, you might see more watery eyes, runny noses, and summertime sniffles too!
The tricky thing about allergens is that they often hide in places that you may not even think of. They can also build up so if you’re not cleaning them regularly and often, chances are they’ll get ‘kicked up’ into the air at some point… and that’s what can cause sneezing, hacking, and all those other nasty allergy symptoms.
Some of the most common places that allergens reside are:
- Lucy the cat, Fido the dog, Penny the hamster… and any other furry critters that create pet dander in/around your home.
- in rooms that have wall-to-wall carpet
- on soft furniture
- any toys that are material and/or stuffed
- your bedding
- damp areas, such as your bathroom or sauna
- pillows and bedding
- mattresses that aren’t covered by a mattress protector
- indoor plants
- open window sills and nearby surfaces – even if you have screens
Now that we know where they hide, let’s move on to what we can do to get rid of them. Sure, air cleaning devices might help… but the best way to improve your air quality is to start at the source – and that means removing irritants from your home via adjusting your cleaning routine.
Pro tip: If you have allergies or asthma, wear a mask while doing your housework! This will prevent any allergens from getting into your airway/lungs while you’re ‘allergy proofing’ your home.
In order to say ‘adios’ to allergens, here are a few of our favorite cleaning tips:
Reduce Humidity
When it comes to reducing dust mites and mold, one of the best things that you can do for your home is to reduce the amount of humidity in it – therefore making the environment less hospitable for any sneaky allergens.
If you have an air conditioner, or have been thinking about purchasing one, good news! They can also lower the humidity and keep build up from happening. Just make sure that you’re cleaning the filter regularly or it won’t be as effective!
You’ll also want to reduce moisture around the bathroom, kitchen, and other areas that see a lot of water. Use a fan or a dehumidifier to keep areas free from condensation. If you see mold on a surface, clean it immediately, and make sure that you’re cleaning the offending surface each week to keep it from returning. Nobody likes uninvited guests!
Keep It Closed
Keeping doors and windows open in the summer is common practice when you’re looking to create air flow in your house – but keep in mind that the breeze isn’t the only thing coming in!
Keeping windows and doors closed is another easy (and less expensive) way of helping reduce any outdoor allergens (and critters) from travelling inside. Or, if you can’t resist having them open, invest in good quality screens – they won’t completely eliminate allergens, but they will help filter out some of the outdoor particles.
Utilize Allergen Resistant Covers
It gets a bad rap for not being all that fashionable, but putting allergen resistant/plastic covers on your pillows, mattresses, and box springs is one of the best things that you can do to make sure nothing is making a home out of your bedroom. These covers are very effective in controlling your contact with dust mites… so think about investing in some if you’re finding that your bedroom set up is giving you the summertime sneezes!
Wash What Can Be Washed
Your towels and linens should be getting a good scrub down at least once a week – especially during peak allergy season! Consistency is key and will ensure that no unintentional build up is happening. If you find yourself sneezing or coughing when you’re in bed, or when you’re toweling off after a shower, it may be a sign that you’re going too long between washes.
Make sure to use hot water to kill off whatever has attached itself to those fabric surfaces. Wash your bedding, towels, clothes, uncovered pillows, blankets, and stuffed toys in water that is 54 degrees Celsius (130F) or above and dry them in a hot dryer.
Vacuum, Vacuum, Vacuum!
Vacuuming is one of the best things that you can do to keep allergens at bay. Ideally, you should be vacuuming once a week, though this depends on how much carpeting is in your home as well. Homes that have wall-to-wall carpeting will see far more allergens and therefore should be vacuumed twice weekly. The same goes for if you have pets that have fur or feathers since they create a good amount of pet dander.
Pro tip: make sure to invest in a good quality vacuum that is certified allergy/asthma friendly. These vacuums have been tested and scientifically proven to trap allergens. Poor quality vacuums can actually put dust back into the air…. and nobody wants that!
Be Proactive With Pet Dander
We love Fido and we know you do too! But his pet dander can cause a host of problems when you’re allergy prone so it’s important to be prepared to target that. Animal dander is the skin cells that are shed by furry/feathery animals. Some animal dander has fewer allergenic proteins, meaning that it may lead to fewer symptoms, but cats and dogs don’t usually fall into that category.
So here’s what you can do! Keep pets out of your bedroom and off the furniture. Close the doors to bedrooms when you are not home to keep pets from climbing onto your bed when you’re not around. If you have fabric furniture, consider purchasing a cover for them. They’re handy and a lot easier to clean than the whole of your couch!
Last but not least, make sure that you’re washing your animal’s favorite pet beds, blankets, and toys often… at least once a week! Pet dander is sticky so it needs a good hot soaking in order to remove it from surfaces.
As always, if you need extra support when it comes to your June ‘to-dos’, or would just like to spend a little more time outside and a little less time cleaning, we’re here for you! Whether it be a seasonal one off or something added to your regular clean, we’re more than happy to help.
Remember: We love cleaning so you don’t have to!
~Your friend, Anna