At home there are several places that can prove to be a breeding ground for allergens. Despite regular dusting, allergens always find a place to breed, and make us prone to allergy attacks.
Published
Jan 17, 2022
Vacuum cleaner
If not cleaned well, all the dust collected from the house remains back in the vacuum cleaner, and it becomes an allergen breeding hotspot. Fix: Make sure you open up the vacuum cleaner, and clean all the parts regularly, especially filters. Old rickety ones release a lot of dust. Make sure you upgrade to a HEPA filter, if you don’t already have one.
Pets
The furry animals are a great place for pollens to hide. The same goes for your fur jackets and coats as well. The pollen hidden in them can lead to an allergic attack, every time you handle them. Fix: Keep your pet clean by bathing them regularly. Do not allow them into rooms where an asthmatic family member sleeps. Vacuum clean your carpets, and rugs, and furniture regularly with a good vacuum cleaner having an HEPA filter.
Curtains and sofas
There are dust mites and critters in your skin. They eat the dead cells and settle upon any smooth and soft surface that your skin touches. Sofas and curtains are their ideal hangouts. Fix: Wash and sun-dry the curtains regularly to avoid these dangerous allergy triggers.
Potted plants
Moist potted plants are the perfect place for molds to grow. They gradually spread to the floor, and eventually to you, thereby allergies. Fix: You will have to take extra care with these plants. While you water them regularly, carefully check for molded leaves, and discard them immediately. Also, take care that you do not allow excess water to stay back in the pot, while you water them.
Books
Your food for thought can be food for allergens too. Dust mites, mold, and booklice, love settling in books. Fix: If you find that handling books triggers allergy, try to vacuum clean their surface. Use a closed container to store books. Decreasing humidity indoors, and removing mold, will also help to curb the book lice.
Beds and mattresses
We spend a minimum of 7 hours in a day sleeping. This period is more than enough to leave behind millions of dead skin cells that attract loads of dust mites, and critters. Fix: Use mattress covers for your mattresses. The bed sheets and pillow covers should all come with washable material, and should be washed regularly in hot water and sundried.
Soft toys
Soft toys also contain allergens in large numbers. Fix: Washable stuffed toys should be washed frequently.
Bathrooms
The watery tiles and humidity in bathrooms make them perfect breeding grounds for molds. Fix: Moulds flourish in damp environments. Therefore one of the best ways to prevent their growth is ventilation. Wipe the floors and walls with chlorine-bleach solution to keep fungus at bay.
Kitchen
The kitchen is the ideal place for cockroaches to breed. Fix: Keep the kitchen well-ventilated, and dry. Once you finish your work, wipe off the table with a clean wet cloth.
New paint and furniture
Both these items give out volatile organic compounds into the air that are potential asthma triggers. Fix: While buying new paint or furniture, look for the Low-VOC label on them.
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