This post has been underwritten by Lysol Air Filters. As always, opinions are 100% my own.
Ah, allergens. I didn’t know much about allergies until I met Brad. I never had allergies and neither did anyone in my family. Brad has relatively bad allergies and now that we have health insurance (can I get a “woot”?!), I’m urging him to see an allergist so we can pinpoint exactly what he’s allergic to. Since we haven’t had to ability to figure out exactly what he’s allergic to, I try to reduce the allergens in our house as much as possible. So today I thought I’d share some of my tips with all of you in case you or your partner or children also suffer from allergies.
Now these are quick tips that you can do. I’m not going to go over drastic tips like ripping out all of your carpet and going with hardwood flooring throughout. These are easy, inexpensive things I do to reduce the allergens in our house.
1. Dust, then vacuum. Because when you dust, some of it will be carried off the surface you’re dusting and settle on the floor. So if you vacuum after you dust, the vacuum will suck up the dust, leaving you with less dust in your house.
2. Vacuum under your bed. If you’re like the typical person, you spend 6-8 hours in your bed a night. That’s a lot of time. To reduce the dust and pet dander in your bedroom, make sure you vacuum under your bed regularly. I use the vacuum attachment on our vacuum to get under the bed without having to move it, but twice a year I have Brad help me move it out of the way so I can use the main part of vacuum to suck up the dust and pet dander.
3. Don’t let your pet(s) sleep with you. If you’re allergic to pet dander this is kind of a given. It doesn’t really make sense to sleep in a bed with something you’re allergic to for 6-8 hours every night. If you’re definitely allergic to pet dander, you may want to consider having your pet(s) sleep in a different room.
4. Use a HEPA filter on your vacuum. HEPA filters trap 100% of pollen and ragweed particles and 99.97% of other allergens and dust. If you’re not using a HEPA filter you’re basically recycling allergens in your house.
5. Wash your bedding and blankets regularly. This is probably a no-brainer because, um well, you spend 6-8 hours in your bedding a night. Dust settles on your bedding just like it settles on your nightstands. Think about it. Same goes with blankets. Especially if you let your pets snuggle on the couch with you.
6. Vacuum your couches and chairs. Like I said above, dust settles everywhere. Vacuum your furnishings often, especially if your pet gets on them, to reduce dust and pet dander.
7. Get some plants (and try not to kill them). Certain plants are natural air filterers. Here’s a list of them. Before you purchase a plant, make sure it’s safe for pets– some can be toxic to animals.
8. Use the exhaust fan when you shower. This will help reduce moisture and mold in your bathroom.
9. Clean your bath and/or shower often. This will also help reduce mold. Along with regular deep cleanings, we use a daily after-shower spray to keep our shower as clean and mold-free as possible.
10. Use a quality air filter. We recently started using Lysol Air Filters. They’re the first air filter that is certified asthma & allergy friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. They reduce pollen by 95%, dust mites by 92%, and pet dander by 85%. And they’re reasonably priced. I picked some up at Menards last week, and our size filter was only $12.99.
If you’re interested in trying one out Lysol Air Filters in your home, you can find them at Menards or Buyfilters.com. (Use the promo code: 221BOGO to buy one, get one free from Buyfilters.com. Note: coupon applies one-inch filters in a 2-pack only and not all sizes are available. Limit one per customer.)
Bonus: enter to win a year-supply of Lysol air filters here!
What do you do to reduce allergens in your home?
This post has been underwritten by Lysol Air Filters. As always, opinions are 100% my own.
Great tips – thank you! I didn’t know Lysol made air filters – I’ll have to look for those! thanks!
Those are great tips! And I’m with Heather – I had no idea Lyson made air filters. We have two cats and I’d love to give them a try!
Oooo good tips! My husband has some allergy issues, so I’m pinning this one for future reference.
Awesome tips! My daughter suffers from allergies, so I will be putting this to use.
Awesome tips! I’ve been trying to dust and clean the house more regularly lately to help my husband’s allergies too.
Mega allergies over hear! Great tips, girl!
P.S. LOVE the cute puppy dog!!!
Great tips! I just recently found out I’m mildly allergic to my cats, so I’m definitely going to do some of this stuff!
great tips….i’m always fighting the allergens and being more on top of changing our filter has made a big difference!
I just recently started being allergic to everything so I’m all over this post!
Great tips Chelsea! My eyes get so gunky when the air isn’t clean. Hopefully these tips will help!
My allergist made me do all this stuff to help my dust mite allergies & this stuff really helps.
Dust mites are a very common allergen & live by the bazillions in your pillows, carpet, mattress, drapes & fabric upholstery.
Defeat them by these steps:
1. Wash ALL bedding in hot water at least every 10 days. Dry in a hot dryer. I use All Free & Clear to further remove allergens.
2. Encase all mattresses & pillows in dust mite proof covers. Bedbug-proof covers will also work to keep out dust mites. This really works.
3. Get rid of carpet in favor of hard floors (tile or wood) that you can damp mop, at the very least in your bedroom. Makes a HUGE difference.
4. Get a big honkin HEPA air cleaner for your bedroom as well as an allergen air filter or your furnace & a/c. I have one n my office at work, too. A lot of office buildings harbor mold.
5. Leather upholstery does not harbor dust mites but fabric upholstery is loaded with the critters. If you have fabric drapes, wash often or at least vacuum them. Keep pets, books, stuffed animals, decorative pillows out of your bedroom.
6. The allergic person should not do the cleaning or hang around while it is done. So now you have a wonderful reason to hire a house cleaner!
7. If you have a Flexible Spending Account at work for health expenses, you can use it to get reimbursed for buying specific items that your doctor recommends for your allergies or other health issues. Your doc must write a note for you detailing the items you need.(air cleaners, filters, HEPA vacuum cleaners, dust mite-proof, bedding covers, etc.) This lets you pay for those expenses with per-tax dollars.