Simple Winter Allergy Cleaning Checklist

As you take down the holiday decor and prep for the new year, it’s the perfect time to do a little cleaning that will benefit your allergies. By focusing on dust-filled living spaces and moisture-loving bathrooms, you can reduce your allergy symptoms from the inside out.

Living Rooms

Dust mites, mold, and pet dander like to embed into carpet and upholstered furniture, so as you put away decor and get ready for the new year, it’s the perfect time for a deep clean. Vacuum soft surfaces with a HEPA filter, because it picks up and traps even the tiniest allergens. A regular filter will grab them, but they can “fall out” and be redistributed throughout your home.
Professional carpet cleaning can help too, especially steam cleaning. It’s more thorough than vacuuming and can help get rid of the allergens that have been embedded there for years.

Bedroom

One of the main focuses for allergy-proofing in the bedroom is the bed. Wash all the bedding in hot water and try to make it a habit to do so every week. If you don’t already have them, invest in dust mite covers for your mattress and pillows for extra allergy protection. Pillows more than a year old should likely be replaced.
It’s important to vacuum here too, and specifically under the bed. Make it a point to move the bed and get a thorough cleaning while you’re at it.

Kitchen and Bathroom

The kitchen and bathroom are breeding grounds for mold since they tend to have the most moisture. If there is visible mold, clean with an even mix of bleach and water – or a mixture of one tablespoon of baking soda, two tablespoons of white vinegar and one quart water.
Even when visible mold is gone, spores can still be circulating around the home. Improving your air quality can be very important for lowering the amount of mold in your home.

Overall Air Quality

There are a few adjustments you can make to your home to help with allergy control this time of year. The first is to try to keep the humidity between 30% and 50%, because dust mites and mold thrive when the humidity is over 50%.
A key to keeping allergies from moving through your vents is to install a HEPA filter and replace them often. Of course, dust is still possible, so try to keep up with dusting around your living spaces to avoid direct exposure.

Treating Your Allergies

As much work as you put in to make your home an allergy safe space, there will always be allergens lingering – and symptoms, too. The best way to ensure you are free from symptoms is to treat the cause of your allergies, and Allergychoices recommends allergy drop treatment.
Allergy drops are custom to each patient and contain tiny amounts of the allergens you are allergic to, determined through testing, exam and history. Over time, the level of allergens is slowly increased so that the body learns to tolerate more of the allergens, until it no longer reacts when exposed.
With proper treatment and adequate cleaning, it’s possible to feel free from your allergy symptoms. Find a provider near you that offers testing and treatment to get started.