If you are an allergy sufferer, fall is one of the times when many find themselves all too frequently reaching for a tissue to catch a sneeze. While there isn’t much that can be done to control the falling leaves, the dust in the air or to eliminate the allergens wreaking havoc with your sinuses, there are a few things you can do inside your home to help minimize the irritants that contribute to this seasonal annoyance.

One of the best things you can do is to keep Grace Home Cleaning coming on a regular schedule to help you maintain a clean and dust-free home. In fact, the American Academy of Allergy, and Immunology recommends regular housecleaning as an effective way to rid your home of many allergy triggers.

Just be aware, some well-intentioned cleaning activities could actually make your allergies worse, not better. For example, shampooing carpets or using heavily scented powders and cleansers can irritate, rather than mitigate, allergy symptoms. Here are a few cleaning activities that have proven to be helpful in keeping your allergies under control:

Vacuum Weekly (Minimum)

Think once or twice a week, using a vacuum equipped with a certified HEPA filter. This filter serves to trap some of the fine irritants that might otherwise pass right through a regular vacuum filter and get recirculated in the air where they can become an irritant.

Mold Is Bad

If your bathroom has any signs of mold growth, work quickly to get it under control. If you have a regular cleaning service like Grace Home Cleaning, we’ll tackle this problem head-on during our first intensive cleaning visit. Keeping your bathroom mold-free is extremely important to the health of you and your family.

Change Sheets (Weekly or More)

If you ever wondered why your mother insisted on changing the bed sheets every week, this is why. Dust mites can set up residence in your sheets and mattress when you don’t regularly wash bedding in water that is at least 130 F. Don’t forget about children’s stuffed animals as well. If they are washable, toss them in. If not, consider ridding them from your home as they are virtual dust magnets.

Mop Properly

Never use a dry rag or mop to dust or clean. To keep allergies out of the air, dampen your rag or mop to help capture allergens while you are working.

Remove Clutter Immediately (This Includes Laundry)

Get it under control to help eliminate those places where dust and allergens can hide. Piles of papers, dirty clothing or wet towels can become virtual breeding grounds for mold, dust mites, roaches and other unsavory houseguests.

Laundry left on an outside line to dry can pick up pollen and mold. If allergies are an issue, you’re better off using the clothes dryer instead.

The good news is, for those of us in the Midwest, the first freeze is coming. Soon, seasonal allergies will step aside and cold and flu season will set in. No matter the season, maintaining a clean home is a great first step to keeping your family healthy and happy.

Fall allergies got you down? Let Grace Home Cleaning uncover all those places where dirt and allergens can hide inside your home. Regular cleaning can make a world of difference to your family’s health! Call Grace Home Cleaning today at 402-769-0774.