Statistics show that allergies affect many people, which can include you or other members of your family. In fact, in the United States, allergies are listed as the 6th leading cause of chronic illness. Upwards of 50 million Americans suffer from allergies year in and year out.
Given those facts, you will definitely want to do everything possible to keep you and your family safe. How can you do that? Here are some simple steps you can follow so you can deal better with allergies at home.
Natural Is the Way to Go
You may not be aware of it, but most of the cleaning products sold in stores are laden with allergens. In fact, you probably have been patronizing some of these products for some time now. Of course, the labels will not say the products contain allergens since these don’t “technically” contain allergens. What may be harsh to allergy sufferers are the strong chemical odors emitted by the products.
With that said, using chemical-rich cleaning products may not be the best idea for your home. What can you do, then? You can start by switching to natural cleaning solutions for your home. Better yet, learn how to make your own cleaning products using only natural ingredients. You’ll find countless tutorials online on how to make your own safe, chemical-free cleaning products to use at home.
Is Your Home Allergen-Free?
Even if you clean your house regularly, it can’t be totally allergen-free especially if you have pets. Pet dander, fur, and odor are known allergens. Once these permeate the air inside your house, it can be a recipe for disaster. Have those mixing with other invisible particles in the air like pollen, dust, and spore, and your home has practically become a breeding ground for allergens.
Because allergens are invisible, you will never know that these are flying around in your house. You can, however, feel the harmful effects of allergens once you or any one in your family develop a severe allergic reaction.
You can test your home for allergens using a negative ionizer or negative ion generator. Such a device can detect the presence of allergens in the air, prompting it to release negative ions into the air. The negative ions attract allergens, dragging these down and out of the air.
Negative ionizers cleanse the air and purify it, making your home allergen-free. These devices are small and compact, so you can practically place them anywhere or in any room in the house that you frequent, like your bedroom or the family room.
Keep it Spick-and-Span
Just because you have a negative ionizer in your home doesn’t mean your home will be free of allergens. There’s more to keeping your home allergen-free than just turning on a negative ionizer. While having one helps tremendously, you still need to make sure your home is always clean. Remember, negative ions from the ionizer drag the allergens down to the ground, which means these harmful particles are still pretty much in your home. So, you still need to keep your home spick-and-span, making sure to sweep, mop, and dust around the house regularly.
Here’s a simple tip to follow: wearing a face mask to ensure you will not inhale dust, start cleaning the highest visible surfaces of your home. Doing so will make the allergens fall to the ground, where it will then be easier for you to mop off. Hire a professional cleaning service or use a vacuum if your floors are carpeted. It might also be a good idea to start keeping your pets outside. In addition, always see to it that your air conditioners’ filters are always clean.
Remember, you are not completely helpless against allergens. You can prevent allergy flare-ups and keep your family healthier and safer by following the steps outlined above and keeping air pollutants out.