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The Best Home D?cor Choices for Household Allergies
By Lisa D. Ellis
Reviewed by QualityHealth's Medical Advisory Board
Your home is your haven, no matter how it's decorated. When indoor allergies are a concern,
though, it's important to know that your design choices, such as the furnishings and finishes you
select, can have a big impact on your health status.
Common Home Allergens
Upholstered furniture, throw pillows, drapes, and carpeting may all be pretty to look at, but they
can also be magnets for dust mites, mold, and animal dander. For people who are sensitive to
these triggers, even professional cleanings may not be enough to banish these common home
allergens. The consequences can be sneezing, coughing, and nasal congestion.
Take Control of Household Allergies
Select items that will be kinder to your immune system. Here are some allergy-friendly design tips:
Flooring Choices: A good place to start tackling home allergens is by removing wall-to-wall
carpeting, which traps dust mites and other allergens in its weave. Hardwood, linoleum, or slate
flooring can all be allergy-friendlier choices. Just check with the installer in advance, since the
fumes from certain varnishes, polishes, and waxes on these materials can also trigger symptoms.
Request allergy-free finishes, or else plan to stay out of your home for several days after your new
flooring is installed in order clear the air. Another option is to choose area rugs that you can wash
often, or else look for low-pile carpeting, which is safer for allergy sufferers. Be sure to vacuum
regularly using a vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter.
Allergy-Free Furniture: You may like the look and feel of upholstered couches and chairs, but it's
important to remember that the fabric can hold on to dust mites, pet dander, and mold spores. A
better choice would be to select items made from wood, leather, metal, or plastic. These finishes
are all much easier to clean so you can remove any allergens that settle on their surfaces.
Window Coverings: Don't turn a blind eye to your window covering choices. Drapes, blinds, and
shades can all harbor dust mites. Consider choosing plain curtains that can be easy to wash.
Simple roller shades that can be cleaned easily can be a good choice beneath.
Bedding: For your bedroom, use a hypoallergenic mattress cover that will keep dust mites away
from your face, and wash your sheets and bedding (synthetic is usually best) in very hot water at
least once a week or even more often.
Clean-Up Your Act to Prevent Household Allergens
In addition to these specific design choices, you should go for a minimalistic d?cor overall that's
free from knickknacks and other frills since collectibles, books, and stuffed animals are all
household allergy triggers. Therefore, going with less will mean more for household allergy
prevention.
Sources:
"Allergy-Proof Your House." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Education and Research
(MFMER), 9 March 2011. Web. 17 Dec. 2011.
"Home Remodeling." Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. AAFA.org, n.d. Web. 17 Dec.
2011.
"House Dust Allergy." American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. ACAAI, 2010. Web.
17 Dec. 2011.
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