Prevention Tips

Protecting your family from allergens could be easier than you might think. Learn tips for reducing allergens in the home.

Preventing Allergens

The common allergens — dust mite allergens, pollen allergens, pet allergens and mold allergens - can cause mild to severe allergies. Reducing these allergens can help reduce your symptoms.

There are specific strategies for each type of allergen.

Dust Mites

Dust mites are microscopic animals in the spider family. They eat discarded human skin cells, which are constantly being shed, and get their water from humidity in the atmosphere. They thrive in temperatures around 70°F / 21°C and high humidity and they reproduce very quickly.

Dust mites are commonly found in bedding, carpets, upholstery, old clothing and stuffed toys. Dust mite allergens are heavier than other allergens, so they land and settle on surfaces quickly, rather than staying "airborne." This makes surface cleaning to reduce dust mite allergens especially important.

Controlling Dust Mites

  • Reduce household surface dust overall. Household dust contains all kinds of tiny particles – but much is made up of human skin cells. Dust also contains the droppings and dead bodies of dust mites. Use a damp or oiled mop or rag to prevent dust from becoming airborne and resettling. Reduce dust mites on surfaces with disinfecting wipes.
  • Remove clutter. This, in turn, reduces places for dust to collect.
  • Monitor your home's humidity. A simple, inexpensive "hygrometer" available at hardware and home stores can help. Home humidity should be between 40%-50%.
  • Use air conditioning. If you use an indoor/window unit, check for good drainage to avoid water collecting in our around it.
  • Vacuum regularly. Use a vacuum cleaner with a double-layered microfilter bag or a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to help decrease house-dust emissions from the cleaner.

In the bedroom

  • Use allergen-proof bed covers. Encasing pillows, mattresses and box springs in allergen-impermeable casings prevents dust mites from entering these soft furnishings and reproducing.
  • Keep all clothes in drawers or closets. Store wool clothes in plastic zipper bags. Keep drawers and closet doors closed, and don't store items under the bed.
  • Choose bedding wisely. Avoid wool or down bedcovers that trap dust easily and are difficult to clean frequently. Also, be aware that down bedcovers can trigger pet allergies, too.
  • Wash all bedding weekly. Laundering sheets, blankets, pillowcases and bedcovers in hot water that is at least 130°F/ 54°C kills dust mites and removes allergens.
  • Place beds away from air vents.
  • Buy washable stuffed toys. Keep them off the bed, and wash them frequently.
  • Remove carpeting and other soft furnishings if possible. Better choices for bedroom flooring are wood, vinyl, linoleum or tile. Also, consider removing upholstered furniture, non-washable draperies, and horizontal blinds (which collect dust) from the bedroom.

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Pollen

Some plants (especially colorful, flowery ones) rely on insects to transport their pollen from plant to plant. But others — like trees, weeds and grasses —– release their pollen into the air to be carried by the wind. These airborne pollens are the cause of pollen allergy, also known as seasonal rhinitis or "hay fever."

Plants release pollen at certain times of the year, which is why pollen allergies are usually seasonal. Unlike some other airborne allergens, pollen is very light — so it can travel long distances in the air. If you go outside or open a window during pollen season ... you are exposed to pollen.

Common Sources of Allergenic Pollen

  • Weeds: ragweed, sagebrush, redroot pigweed, lamb's quarters, Russian thistle (tumbleweed), and English plantain
  • Grasses: timothy grass, Kentucky bluegrass, Johnson grass, Bermuda grass, redtop grass, orchard grass, and sweet vernal grass

Avoiding Pollen

  • Clean surfaces regularly to remove pollen that may have settled there. Keeping windows closed can help prevent pollen from getting inside your home.
  • Stay indoors in the morning – especially on sunny, windy days. The pollen count is usually lower on cold, wet days. Change your clothes when you come in from outside (and not in the bedroom, to avoid spreading pollen).
  • Use air conditioning at home and in the car.
  • Avoid exposure to irritants like dust, tobacco smoke, air pollution, insect sprays, and fresh paint; these can make your symptoms worse.
  • Dry your laundry in the clothes dryer – not on an outdoor clothesline.
  • Consider using a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter at home.
  • If your symptoms are severe, consider wearing a pollen-filtering face mask if you must be outdoors.
  • Take vacation at the height of your area's pollen season — and choose a place where you're likely to be exposed to less pollen, such as at the beach.

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Pet Allergens

Most pet allergies are caused by cats, dogs, and rodents. Allergens from animals are found:

  • In their dander (dead skin cells)
  • In saliva (which can become airborne when dried)
  • On their hair/fur
  • In their urine
  • In cage litter/sawdust (from mice, gerbils, hamsters and guinea pigs)

Horses, cattle, rabbits, pet birds, and products made from feathers or down can also trigger allergy symptoms. Plus, you can suffer from pet allergy symptoms even if you don't have a pet, if you are exposed to pet allergens in other people's homes or on their clothes at work or school.

Controlling Pet Allergies

  • Give your pet a weekly bath. Ask a family member or friend without allergies to bathe your pet on a weekly basis. This includes cats. If you start when the cat is a kitten, it's easier to get into this routine. Kitty treats to reward the cat might help.
  • Remove carpets and soft furnishings. Wherever possible, replace rugs with tile, wood, linoleum or vinyl flooring. Consider replacing other soft furnishings such as upholstered furniture, draperies and horizontal blinds. Instead, try wood furniture with washable seating pads/pillows, and vertical blinds. Make sure any surfaces your pet sits on are washable.
  • Have non-allergic family and friends assist with pet cleaning duties. It's important to clean a pet's bed, litter box or crate/cage regularly to reduce allergen buildup. If you have a cat allergy and you need to change the litter box yourself, wear a mask.
  • Use HEPA filters. This may help reduce airborne pet allergens. Try a vacuum bag with a filter, and also place a HEPA filter in the bedroom.
  • Keep your pet outside, if possible. You'll reduce allergens in your home if you live in a warm climate and have the breed of pet who can live outside comfortably.
  • Limit the pet's contact with soft furnishings.When the pet is indoors, try to keep it in a room with fewer soft furnishings, such as the kitchen. Provide the pet a comfy bed of his/her own, and never let the pet into the allergic person's bedroom.

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Mold and Mildew

Mold and mildew are microscopic members of the fungus family. They grow both indoors and out. When they grow in large quantity, called "colonies," they can be seen with the naked eye.

Mold and mildew release tiny seeds, called "spores," that are carried through the air. When these spores are inhaled, they can cause allergies.

  • Outdoor Molds: found on rotting logs, fallen leaves, compost piles, grasses/grains, and dead plants. They are particularly common in the hot and humid summer months.
  • Indoor Mold/Mildew: found in damp areas, like in the bathroom, kitchen or basement.

Avoiding Mold Spores

  • Stay indoors if the mold count is high. If you must be outside, wear a dust mask when working in garden areas — like when cutting grass or picking up leaves.
  • Maintain a low humidity level in the house. Avoid using humidifiers unless absolutely necessary. They can lead to mold growth and spread airborne mold spores.
  • Use air conditioning. Consider one with a HEPA filter to help reduce airborne spores.
  • Make sure your clothes dryer is vented outside.
  • Let shoes air dry before storing. This helps prevent mold growth in closets.
  • Give away old books, recycle newspapers, and donate unused clothing or bedding.
  • Keep firewood outside. The bark can harbor mold.

In the Basement:

  • Add mold inhibitor to paint you plan to use a damp environment, like basements or on exposed brick walls.
  • Correct seepage or flooding problems in basements/foundations and remove water-damaged carpet immediately.
  • Use a dehumidifier in the basement if it is damp. Empty and clean the dehumidifier regularly. Raising the temperature can also help lower humidity.
  • Inspect the basement regularly, and discard any moldy items.
  • Do not install carpet on a concrete floor.
  • Inspect your foundation and rain gutters to be sure drainage is moving away from the house.

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