How To Cope With An Allergy To House Dust

I've lived with allergies and asthma my entire life so I've learned a few tricks and tips to make life easier. One of the most common ways to control your allergies is to simply avoid whatever it is you are allergic to. Stay indoors during pollen season, avoid animals and do not eat foods you are allergic to, but the one thing you really can't avoid dust. House dust is a common allergen, it may contain mites, animal dander, pollen, mold, residue from cleaning products and fibers from fabrics.

Dust mites are microscopic organisms that are the primary cause of dust allergies. It is actually the excrement of these mites that people are allergic to. Dust is everywhere, and not just where you can see it either. You can clean and dust all your want, but there's still millions of dust mites lurking in your home. The key to staying healthy is to know how to get rid of them.

Here are some tips to help you out:

Choose lino, tile or hardwood flooring, it may be expensive, but they are a whole lot better for your health. Carpets are a great place for dust mites to hide out and vacuuming does little to rid you of the problem. If you can't get rid of the carpet in your home, use a hepa filtered vacuum and a steam cleaner regularly. You can have hard flooring with area rugs, simply choose ones that can easily be washed or steam cleaned to remove dust.

You spend nearly one third of your life in your bedroom so it's important to keep it as dust free as possible. Just like your carpet, mattresses are a great place for dust and mites to hide. Since you probably can't afford to replace your mattress all the time, look for specialized allergy covers for your mattress. While you are at it get some of these covers for your pillows too.

Now, your mattress and pillows aren't the only place in your bed that dust and mites like to live. They can also accumulate in your sheets, blankets and comforters. That's why it is important to wash all your bedding in hot water at least once a week. Use a comforter made from an easy to care for synthetic material rather than down or other natural fibers.

If you have pets keep them out of your bedroom, they shed hair and dander, not to mention the dirt they track in from out doors which just adds to the problem.

Invest in a good quality air filter system. There is a number of brands of special filters on the market that remove dust and other allergens out of the air you breathe. They may cost more, but they're certainly well worth it if you are allergic to house dust. Most people know you're supposed to change you home's air filters every three months, but that doesn't mean they do. Mark it on your calendar so that you don't forget to change the air filter regularly.

Those little knick knacks all over your house may look nice, but they can collect dust. Books and dried flowers are the worst. Try to reduce the number of items you have displayed and choose decorations that are easy to dust or clean.

Dust and clean with something that actually picks up the dust and keeps it on the duster. Traditional dusters and cloths usually just push dust around and release it back into the air, try a static cleaner or use a damp cloth. This way you know you are getting rid of dust not just moving it back into the air so it can land somewhere else.

What type of cleaning products are you using? They affect your health and the health of your children too. In fact, the statistics are staggering. So staggering that scientists and physicians have come to the conclusion that the rise in asthma and allergies in our society is a direct result of household cleaners and the toxins in our environment. Now is a great time to switch to all-natural cleaning products.

These tips might seem like they require a lot of work and maybe a bit of money, but the results will be worth it. You will feel an improvement in your health and that is well worth the effort and expense.