Tips to Remove Allergens From Your Home

During the colder winter months, people keep their homes warm and well-sealed against the frigid air outside, making their house a haven for irritants such as mold, dust mites, and pet dander.

When the heater or furnace kicks on, the air stirs up and circulates all the dust and dirt that has settled into the rugs or carpet, on top of furniture, and behind appliances. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the levels of air pollutants in your home may be 2 to 5 times higher than the levels outdoors. In some rare cases, this could be more than 100 times. [Source: http://www.epa.gov/air/basic.html#indoor]

Here are some easy to follow tips to help you drastically reduce indoor allergens:

Kill or prevent mold by cleaning areas of your home with bleach. Use a mixture of 95 percent water and 5 percent bleach for maximum effectiveness.

Use a humidifier to keep the humidity level between 30 to 40 percent in the house. These conditions are much less optimal for mold growth.

Invest in a high quality air filter for your air conditioning unit or furnace. Common disposable filters are usually only capable of collecting about 15 to 20 percent of indoor air pollutants. Check the claims from the company who manufactures the filter by going to their website for more information. Some very high quality filters have been shown to eliminate up to 99.5 percent of pollen, mold spores, dander, and ragweed.

Groom your pets on a weekly basis and try to keep them out of your bedroom to help control animal dander even further.

Clean and dust around the house more frequently to eliminate dust mites.

Shampoo your carpets at least once per year to remove the dirt and dust that has been accumulating.

Following these simple steps will improve the overall air quality around your home for both you and your family