Whether you suffer from asthma, allergies or simply want to
ensure the air in your bedroom is as clear as possible, there
are several easy measures you can take to limit the amount of
dust that collects in one of the most used rooms of your house.
We spend more time breathing air in our bedroom than any other
room, and shed more skin there too (unpleasant sounding, but
true!) as we get changed in and out of work, casual clothes and
pyjamas. The amount of dust in your bedroom can irritate
existing allergies and asthma, or even just create an irritation
without any prior allergy having existed. Opening the windows to
let in the breeze can only clear your room for a short time, so
setting up your room to be dust-free from the outset is the best
way to go about cutting out that stuffy nose and horrible
heavy-headed feeling in the morning.
There are many ways you can reduce the amount of dust in your
bedroom, and you can of course use any or all of these methods,
depending on how much work you are willing to do. Incidentally,
when carrying out any amount of cleaning work in a dusty room,
you may find it beneficial to wear a filter mask. They're very
cheap from any DIY or hardware store, and can save you a stuffed
nose.
Carpets - The first major storage area of dust mites and
their droppings is the carpet. If you can, replace carpeting
with wooden floors (hardwood, tile or linoleum flooring can be
obtained fairly cheaply at DIY stores for easy home-fitting). If
this is not an option, you could consider treating your carpets
with Tannic Acid, which kills the mites. It's not as effective
as removing the carpet however, can irritate some people's
allergies, and needs constant reapplication.
Furniture & Furnishings - Any flat surface in the bedroom
is a perfect place for dust to gather. Try to limit such
surfaces (floor to ceiling wardrobes is a good way to get round
clothes storage) and get rid of all upholstery. Upholstered
furniture simply adds another layer of fabric for mites to make
their home, so ensure all surfaces and chairs are metal or wood,
which can be scrubbed every now and then, and don't store dust
and mites. If you have any clothes that cannot as yet be stored
in a closed drawer or wardrobe, store them in zippered plastic
bags, and make sure shoes are off the floor. Avoid heavy
curtains or Venetian blinds, use light fabrics or, ideally,
window shades. The thicker the material the more space for dust
mites to live and breed, and for dust to collect. Venetian
blinds, obviously, provide multiple flat surfaces for dust to
settle, so are not ideal either. When washing bedding, wash the
curtains too.
Beds - One of the worst storage areas for dust mites and
collected skin cells, mattresses are impossible to clean
completely. If possible replace your regular bed with a
waterbed, which is easily cleaned and provides no chance for
dust mites to hide. Many stores will sell allergy-safe bedding
covers and pillowcases, so use those or bedding with a Dacron
content. When washing bedding, ensure you are washing at
temperatures above 130 Degrees Fahrenheit. It goes without
saying that it's a good idea to avoid wool-blankets or other
such comforters on the bed.
Pets - Of course if you already have animals you are not
going to want to get rid of them, but just making sure they
don't get into the bedroom can make a world of difference. As
mentioned before, you spend more hours in your bedroom than in
any other room, so it's worth excluding any fur-covered pets.
Cleaning - Try to clean the room completely and
thoroughly every week, using a damp cloth on all smooth surfaces
(including window sills and the tops of any high cupboards) to
pick up dust rather than just kicking it into the air. Open
windows to air the room while you wash bedding and furnishings,
and vacuum any carpeting and upholstery you may have in the room.
Air Purifying - Using dehumidifier and air conditioners
can help regulate high temperatures and moisture that can
increase mite breeding. Only use air conditioners when
absolutely necessary however, as they can dry the air so much as
to be harsh on nasal passages.
When already firmly settled in a home, you can't really move,
but if you have a choice then it's a good idea to avoid basement
living. You can translate all these practices to the rest of the
house too, with the living room being perhaps the next most
important room to target.
For mild allergies, just putting some of these measures into
practice can lead to quite some relief, and for serious asthma
and allergy sufferers you can create a virtually dust-free room
by doing everything talked about in this article, leading to
better quality of life and often a reduced need for medications.
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