Keep the sneeze away year-round

If you suffer from allergies, you may think you only need to worry about flowers, pollen and pets. Did you know that dust mites are one of the most common allergy triggers? Dust mites are microscopic insect-like pests that are everywhere.

To reduce dust and dust mites follow these tips for the:

Air

• Don’t use window or attic fans, which bring pollen, mold spores and other allergens inside.
• Use air conditioning instead of opening windows.
• Use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. This can help remove allergens and tobacco smoke from the air in your home.

Furniture and carpets

• Use dust-proof pillow and mattress covers made from a tight-weave fabric that keeps out dust and dust mites.
• Remove stuffed toys, wall hangings, books, knickknacks and artificial flowers.
• Avoid wool blankets and down quilts.
• Avoid carpet, rugs and upholstered furniture that collect dust.
• Occasionaly steam clean carpets. 

Floors

• Damp-mop hard floors once a day.
• Dust and vacuum once or twice a week.
• Use a dry cloth to wipe hard surfaces such as countertops and tables weekly.
• Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter or a double-thick bag.
• Wear a mask to avoid dust mites stirred up during cleaning.
• Keep humidity less than 50% in your home. Dust mites don’t do well in dry conditions.