Preventing Allergens in the Home
Most of us know what it’s like to have to leave a room due to fresh paint or recent cleaning. Some people even experience fainting, headaches, migraines, or persistent sensitivities to many of these products as a result of long-term exposure. Although proper ventilation is key to keep fumes down, additional precautions are necessary to reduce our exposure to dangerous chemicals and allergens.
Small improvements can make a dramatic difference in reducing allergens and sensitivities in the home. For example, it’s important to regularly clean the lint trap in the dryer, but it’s equally as important to clean the exhaust pipe. Dust and lint can build up in the exhaust pipe and can become clogged, eventually discharging back into the home.
These exhaust pipes should be cleaned every three to six months with a round brush that has flexible piping. By snaking the brush into the pipe you can dislodge and clear out the trapped dust and lint. You should be able to get the brush all the way through the pipe. If it gets trapped, or you can’t push it through, you may need to pull apart the sections of the exhaust pipe and clear it out. Otherwise, you can call a professional duct cleaner to help.
Dryer sheets and fabric softeners cause further problems in dryers. Most of these products contain camphor, phthalates, chloroform, and other chemicals that can cause respiratory problems and allergic reactions. Some can even cause damage to nervous or reproductive systems with prolonged exposure. Due to the nature of dryers, these chemicals are dried onto the clothes rather than rinsed out, so clothes become coated with chemicals.
Another simple solution to alleviating allergies comes with bathroom fans. Most people use fans only when they shower and turn them off once the water stops running. But moisture and condensation collects and hides in grout, tile, floors, and behind toilets and sinks, creating ideal conditions for mildew and mold. Fans need to run during and after showers, especially hot ones, and should vent to the outside.
Timers are handy for this task and can be set to run for the duration of the shower and for a set period of time afterwards. By hooking it up the fan, you can run the fan for about thirty minutes – a good time for a bathroom to ventilate during and after a bathing session. It also guarantees that you won’t forget to turn it off.
You should also consider installing a fan in your kitchen if you don’t already have one. If you have one, great! Make sure to turn it on whenever you cook or run the dishwasher. Just like bathrooms, kitchens have a tendency to retain moisture and mold, mildew, and dust mites thrive in these conditions. If you don’t already have a fan, consider installing one or purchasing a window unit to properly ventilate the area.
Purchase a good air purifier. This means buying one with a real High Efficiency Particle Air (HEPA) filter that has the capacity to filter out the tiny airborne particles that contaminate your air. Avoid ozone-generating machines that purposely emit levels of ozone that can be hazardous to your health. Studies by the University of California show that many of these ozone-generating models, designed to reduce airborne pollen, emit dangerous levels of the ozone gas. Ionic air purifiers and ionizing air purifiers also produce some levels of ozone and can even create worse air quality when paired with lemon-scented cleaning products with limonene.