Parents don’t want to see their children suffer through allergy attacks. Keeping your children from developing severe allergic reactions, or developing allergies in the first place, isn’t as hard as you may think. By making small changes around your home to improve indoor air quality, you can reduce common environmental allergies.
Remove Mold and Mildew From Your Home
Some houseplants, such as spider plants, snake plants, peace lilies, dracaenas, and bamboo palms, can improve indoor air quality. But houseplants can harbor mold if left in warm, wet soil. Avoid overwatering plants to keep mold from developing in the potting mixture.
Mildew can often be found in the bathroom, both in the bathtub and on the bathmats. Scrub your bathtub with a mixture of 1 cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water. This solution will help prevent mildew from growing and getting into the air. Hang up bathmats over a bathtub or shower curtain rod to dry out after use, and wash them weekly to keep them clean.
Limit Exposure to Tobacco Smoke
Smoking during pregnancy can increase the chances of your child having difficulties breathing. It is important to limit exposure to secondhand smoke to prevent the development of asthma and other respiratory problems.
If you smoke, do it outside and away from children so that the tobacco smoke doesn’t affect the air quality in your home.
Reduce Dust Mites
Reducing contact with dust mites can delay or keep allergies from developing. Remove carpeting from your child’s bedroom. Opt for bare floors and area rugs that can be washed. Leather and vinyl furniture is easy to wipe down and will not trap dust mites like upholstered furniture, so consider replacing your furniture as well. Also, remove fabric throw pillows on furniture as these items can trap dust.
Dust mites could also be lurking in children’s toys and blankets. Washing teddy bears and bedding weekly in hot water can reduce exposure to dust mites.
Avoid Sleeping With Pets
Research is divided on whether early exposure to pets can promote or prevent allergies to animals. Recent research suggests that children who grow up on a farm have fewer allergies and are less likely to develop asthma.
However, sleeping with pets can cause your child to have an allergic reaction even if they don’t have pet allergies. Pet dander — which is dry skin, hair, and saliva — can get trapped in bedding and upholstery. Keep pets off beds and furniture to reduce exposure to pet dander.
Improve Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality
Running your air conditioner can keep pollen from coming into your house and lower humidity, which can help improve your home’s indoor air quality. Make sure your air filter is clean before turning on your air conditioner. Check your air filter monthly and consider upgrading to a high-efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA).
Taking steps to reduce exposure to allergens by improving the air quality in your home can help children from suffering severe allergy attacks. The small changes outlined above can decrease the likelihood of your child developing common environmental allergies.
