Cleaning Your Home and Reducing Allergens With Ease
Keeping your home clean is an essential part of keeping healthy. In addition to decreasing the risk of contracting a cold or other illness, keeping your home tidy can reduce allergens in your home and make it safer for pets. Whether you have cats or dogs, kids or elders, small spaces or sprawling ranch-style homes, cleaning is a universal challenge we must all face at one point or another. And while some people actively enjoy having a clean house as their primary source of stress relief, most of us get through it with the help of our trusty cleaning supplies and time-saving tips. Here are some ideas for making your home more easily kept tidy regularly so you can feel good about coming home after work every day.
Use products with HEPA filters
If you have pets or anyone in your household suffers from allergies, clean your floors with a vacuum equipped with a HEPA filter. These will trap 99.9% of the dust and allergens inside your home and prevent them from floating around and becoming airborne, where they can be inhaled and cause respiratory issues. Make sure you clean your vacuum regularly to keep it working at optimal levels and prevent dirt build-up in the filter, which might otherwise diminish its effectiveness. If you have allergies, especially to pet dander, clean your floors regularly with a vacuum with a HEPA filter. This will trap the allergens inside your home and prevent them from getting airborne, where they can make you sick.
Swap to natural cleaning products
As with many other products, it’s best to go for less synthetic, less chemical-laden options when it comes to cleaning your home. When possible, switch from products containing harsh and dangerous chemicals to natural cleaning products that use baking soda, vinegar and essential oils. You can find many highly effective brands that use natural ingredients and often come in eco-friendly packaging. If you’re worried about effectiveness, don’t be. Many natural cleaning products are more potent than the chemical-based solutions they replace, and they have added benefits such as reducing allergens and being safe for pets. You can even make your natural cleaning solutions using ingredients from your kitchen. For example, vinegar and baking soda make an excellent all-around cleaner.
Pay attention to pest control.
Pests like spiders and ants are often found where food is stored. Make sure you clean your kitchen and pantry areas frequently to prevent pests from making their way into your home and causing damage. If you notice any infestation, don’t try to treat it yourself. Call a professional pest control service to determine the source of the problem and eradicate it. Many pests have become resistant to pesticides, making them less effective in controlling them.
Vacuum regularly
Vacuuming is essential to keeping your home tidy and free of allergens. Vacuuming regularly will remove dirt, dust, and allergens from your carpets, upholstery, and other surfaces in your home, such as your kitchen table and countertop. Vacuuming can also help to remove allergens such as pet hair and dander, pollen, and dust mites that might otherwise remain trapped in your home and cause allergic reactions. Look for a vacuum that is designed to be easy to use. If you have allergies, consider a vacuum designed to reduce allergens. If you have back problems, consider a vacuum lighter than the standard models.
Declutter
We all have things in our closets that we haven’t seen or used in years, maybe even decades. While you may think you’ll use them again one day, the reality is that those things sit there collecting dust most of the time. Why hang onto them? If you don’t need it, get rid of it. Make space for the things you do need, and declutter your home.
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- Lisa has been blogging since 2013, and loves sharing resources and ideas for living a simple life. To get free printables, bonus words, and more - sign up for the newsletter.
