According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, more than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies each year. If you are one of these sufferers, you know how important it is to make your environment as allergy-free as possible. Here are a few tips for making your home more hypoallergenic for yourself and for others who live in or visit your home.
1. Start Fresh
While it may not always be feasible, building a new home and starting from scratch already puts you ahead of the game. New homes are less likely to have mold and dust build-up and modern insulation is often more allergy-friendly than older types. When building your home, you can also choose more allergy-resistant finishes and implement some preventative measures in your new home, to help control allergens that come into your home.
2. Choose Allergy Resistant Flooring
The type of flooring you have in your home can have a dramatic impact on the allergens in your home. Carpet flooring can trap allergens and make it difficult to remove them from your home. Choose flooring such as wood, laminate, or tile that can easily be cleaned. If you do have carpet. Use a good quality vacuum suggested for removing allergens in the home.
3. Air Filters and Filtration Systems
Changing your air filters regularly is vital to the air quality in your home. Take it a step further and replace them with HEPA filters. These filters are designed to reduce allergens in your air and improve air quality. There are also many air filtration systems available that can actually filter allergens that are in the air in your home. One tip is to make sure when choosing an air filtration system that it does not produce ozone, which can also irritate those with allergies and asthma.
4. Reduce Allergens Being Tracked into Your Home
Allergens come into your home from the outside on our clothes and shoes. Encourage everyone who enters your home to remove their shoes at the entry of your home. Matts can help trap allergens as people enter the home and you can take them outside to clean. If you are building your home, choose a floor plan with a mudroom or mudroom/laundry room combo so you can easily keep soiled clothing and shoes from entering your home. Many of Rockford’s floor plans offer this as an option, such as the Alder.
5. Opt for Less Upholstered Furniture
Furniture can be a haven for allergens and dust. Wherever possible, choose furniture that is wood, leather, glass, or metal or avoid allergens. Leather and vinyl are good choices for your sofas and chairs. Choose hypoallergenic coverings for your mattress and pillows and keep furniture cleaned from dust regularly.
6. Control Humidity
Controlling your home’s humidity can really improve your allergy sufferer’s comfort level. Air that is too humid can promote the growth of mold and increase allergens. On the other hand, air that is too dry can also aggravate allergies as well. You may want to put a dehumidifier in areas such as the basement that tend to become damper. Room humidifiers can be placed in your home in areas where you spend a lot of time such as the bedroom. You may want to consider whole-house solutions as well. A professional HVAC technician can help you determine the best solution for your home.
7. Avoid Wood Fireplaces and Opt for Gas Instead
Wood burning fireplaces and stoves are perfect on a cold winter’s night, however, many allergy sufferers will agree that it can cause havoc to their systems. If possible, opt for a natural gas fireplace, which would not produce allergens as wood does.
8. Choose Blinds and Shades Over Fabric Curtains
Fabric curtains tend to hold more dust and allergens than blinds or shades. Help make your home more hypoallergenic by choosing blinds and shades instead. If you have fabric curtains, make sure you wash them frequently to help reduce allergens in your home.
9. Mold Resistant Materials
If you are building or remodeling your home, choose materials that are mold resistant whenever possible. Mold is a common allergen and any measure you take to reduce its growth will help those in your home with allergies. There are a number of products available that are made to be mold resistant or are naturally less likely to encourage growth. At Rockford Homes, we use these products and other high-quality materials wherever possible to ensure both the quality of your home and the comfort of everyone who enters it.
