The first approach to dealing with specific allergens or allergic triggers is to try and reduce your exposure by modifying your environment. This information contains suggestions for reducing allergy exposure in your environment.
Pollen avoidance
- Keep windows closed at peak pollen times
- Wear glasses or sunglasses to prevent pollen from entering the eyes
- Do not cut grass yourself, and if you do, wear a pollen mask
- Use air conditioning if possible
Pet allergen avoidance
- If possible, find another home for the pet, and do not bring new animals into the home
- Exclude pets from bedrooms and if possible, keep pets outdoors
- Vacuum carpets, mattresses and upholstery regularly
- Change clothes after attending your horse/cat/dog
- Bathe your pet regularly (twice a week will greatly reduce pet dander)
- Allerpet emollient, LyTar keratolytic shampoo is recommended
- Do not allow pets in the bedroom
Mold allergen avoidance
Indoors
- Use dehumidifiers in the home to keep relative humidity less than 50%
- Ensure heating, ventilation or air condition systems are properly maintained
- Use 5% ammonia solution or 10% bleach solution to remove mold from bathrooms and other contaminated surfaces
- Two capfuls of bleach in one quart of water
- Be careful of noxious fumes and wear mask if necessary when cleaning
- Replace carpets with hard flooring; replace wallpaper with paint
- Repair indoor water damage immediately
Outdoors
- Avoid cutting grass in late summer when mold spores are present in decaying vegetation
- Avoid compost piles as these are large sources of mold spores
House dust mite allergen reduction
- Wash bedding regularly (every one to two weeks) in hot water (approximately 110-120°F) to kill mites
- Washing with cold water removes 90% of mite allergens
- Wash pillows and duvets in hot water and encase pillows and mattresses with protective coverings
- Sufficient ventilation of home to decrease humidity; reduce indoor relative humidity to below 50% and avoid damp housing conditions
- Use a good quality vacuum cleaner (one fitted with HEPA filter)
- Use a damp duster when dusting and cleaning surfaces
- Replace wall-to-wall carpets with linoleum, tile or wooden floors which can be wiped clean
- Remove/reduce curtains and soft furnishings in the bedroom
- Consider furniture with leather or vinyl coverings
- Minimize soft toys in the bedroom; wash them in hot water or freeze them (in a kitchen deep-freezer) to kill house dust mites
Cockroach allergen avoidance
- Remove sources of food and eradicate cockroaches with appropriate insecticides
- Seal cracks in floors and ceilings and control for dampness
- Scrub floors with water and detergent to remove allergens
- Bedding, curtains and clothing can be contaminated and must be washed
Air cleaners
- High-efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) is recommended. It works as a fan drawing air through a paper or fine mesh filter. These filters are designed to remove 99.97% of all airborne pollutants 0.3 microns or larger from the air that passes through the filter (these include tobacco smoke, household dust and pollen)
- Electrostatic precipitators work by drawing air through an electrical field. Charged particles are trapped on oppositely charged collector plates. The best precipitators use a fan. Precipitators generate small amounts of ozone, which has an odor that may be objectionable. They may also make a crackling sound as they accumulate dirt
- The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers certify most air cleaners. The certification label tells you the cleaner’s maximum coverage areas, as well as, its clean-air delivery rate (CADR), a measure of the speed of cleaning. If looking for whole-house air cleaners instead of portable cleaners, look for the minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV)