Effectively Managing Indoor Allergies - 10 Things You Can Do To Breathe Easier Indoors

In order to effectively manage indoor allergies, you must avoid the triggers. Here are 10 ways to minimize the irritants that you are exposed, limit your symptoms and experience a better quality of life.

1. Keep humidity levels low. This will cut down on the mite population as they grow best with humidity levels that are above 30%. Since they need moisture to survive, keeping the air relatively dry will kill them naturally.

2. Keep a cool house. Mites like temperatures that are 77 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer. Keep temperatures cooler that this in both winter and summer months, and it will help make it tougher for them to thrive in your home.

3. Clean with moisture. Use a cloth or mop that is damp with water or oil to reliably collect and eliminate particles.

4. Change filters on the central air and heating system as frequently as necessary to avoid a build-up of dust that can be sent back into the air.

5. Make your home more allergy-friendly by eliminating carpets, heavily upholstered furniture, blinds, and shutters. These all make it easy for particles to collect in huge numbers and to be readily sent into the air with normal activity.

6. Each month, clean the places that you might not take the time to clean on a regular basis. These places include walls, ceiling, light fixtures, and moldings.. It should be someone other than the allergic person doing this. And it's a good idea to let the dust settle out of the air for several hours before having the affected person return home.

7. Take moisture out of bathroom air immediately each time after baths and showers with the fan. This will reduce the possibility of mold and mildew growth. A dry environment discourages growth which means there will be fewer spores available to become airborne.

8. A dry basement goes a long way towards reducing the mold spore coount. Waterproof the outside foundation walls, and paint the interior will a mold-resistant paint. Use a dehumidifier to keep moisture levels below 30% and avoid using carpet on concrete floors as it will make a haven for mold to multiply.

9. Make a comfortable shelter outdoors for your pets.. In extreme heat and/or cold, make the majority of areas in your home pet-free. OK, so if you're a soft touch this is probably not going to work.

So try making the bedroom off limits. And if that's hard too, try to keep them off the bed

10. Use a HEPA or high efficiency particle arresting air purifier to continually clear the air of particles that are inherent to indoor living and those that are constantly being brought in from the outside.