Housecleaning Tips to Control Allergies and Asthma

Love it or loathe it, housecleaning is an important key to helping you control symptoms of allergies and asthma.

It's true that no matter how well you clean, you'll still be exposed to allergens like dust and dander, but you can do a lot to reduce them. Get the job done right -- and make the most of your cleaning time -- with these simple tips.

Controlling Asthma and Allergy Symptoms: Indoors

You spend a lot of time inside, so it's important to make your home a comfortable haven. To help you keep allergens manageable:

• Choose hardwood floors or ceramic tile instead of carpeting. Really love carpeting? Choose low-pile or unpadded material to help manage allergies and asthma symptoms, and to make housecleaning easier. 
• Don't give dust a place to land. Use window shades or smooth vertical blinds instead of heavy drapes, horizontal blinds, or material covered verticals. 
• Make the bedrooms off-limits to pets. Animal dander is a well-known allergy trigger for many people and is difficult -- almost impossible -- to completely clean away. 
• Look for special bedding that's designed to be less permeable to allergens. Hypoallergenic bedding is easy to locate online. 
• Avoid a tropical jungle indoors. Overwatered indoor plants can lead to mold growth -- and allergy symptoms. 
• Keep bedroom area rugs to a minimum, and choose washable, low pile types to reduce dust and mold. 
• Don't be a fan of fans. Fans help circulate dust and allergens. Use air-conditioning instead and change air filters regularly. 
• To tackle mold-producing moisture in your bathroom, use a fan and/or window to exhaust warm, humid air after taking baths and showers. 
• Wash shower curtains and bathroom tiles regularly, or use mold-killing solutions on both. 
• Keep the bathroom in good repair, repairing leaks and drips. Wet surfaces are breeding grounds for mold. 
• Wash sheets, blankets, and pillows in hot water of at least 130 degrees, then dry bedding on high. This helps kill dust mites -- a common allergy trigger. 
• Remove laundry from the washing machine promptly to discourage mold and mildew growth. 
• Make your vacuum your friend. A strong vacuum with a well-filtered containment system, used often, removes particles of every kind before they become airborne. Use extra care on heavily trafficked areas. 
• Keep your house below 50% humidity to prevent mold growth. Install dehumidifiers in basements and other areas of the house where moisture tends to collect. 
• Even the cleanest homes can have roaches. Pests like these can enter your home in all sorts of sneaky ways -- like the box your new flat-screened TV was shipped in. Because roaches can irritate allergy symptoms, control them with traps, bait, and pesticide sprays. If you use a pesticide, spray when no one is home, and air your house out well afterward.