Indoor Allergens Taking Over?

Many people suffer from outdoor allergies this time of year. With the pollen count on the rise, people are beginning to see and feel the symptoms. During this time of year we retreat indoors to avoid the allergens outside. However, what many of us do not realize is that there are just as many, if not more, allergens in our homes.

Dust is the main cause of indoor allergies and the makeup of the dust depends on the house. Everything from the type of food you eat to the clothes you own can affect the dust in your home. Dust is a part of life and no matter how often the house is cleaned there will always be dust somewhere. So what causes all that dust and how do you get rid of it?

House dust is an airborne mixture that may contain fine particles of soil and plant material from indoors or outdoors, particles of human and animal skin (dander) and hair, fabric fibers, mold spores, dust mites, fragments of insects that have died and their waste, food particles, and other debris. Although many substances in dust can trigger allergic symptoms, the most important indoor allergens are dust mites, pet dander, cockroaches, and molds.

Unlike seasonal allergies, indoor allergies may last all year long. In the late summer dust mites are at their peak and indoor allergies seem to be the worst. However, opening your windows at night during high pollen and mold count times can result in outdoor allergens settling in your home, causing indoor allergy symptoms to be worse.

All of this sounds pretty terrible, so how can you prevent indoor allergens from getting out of control? The best way to control indoor allergies is to limit your exposure to indoor allergens (hey, that makes sense!). How you limit exposure will depend on the type of allergen that is affecting you. There are some easy ways to help prevent against all types of indoor allergens:

1. Carpets and upholstered furniture harbor dust mites and pet dander. Vacuum often and have your carpets and upholstery cleaned regularly. We usually recommend every other month to every quarter.

2. Your bedding, towels, and drapery are also places that catch a lot of dust and pet dander. They too need to be washed often.

3. Avoid clutter. Clutter creates a great spot for dust mites, bugs, and mold to settle or hide.

4. Moist bathroom or basement walls love to breed mold. Wipe down these walls often with bleach. If mold has already colonized you should have it professionally mitigated to prevent it from re-colonizing.

5. Avoid open windows during high pollen and mold count periods.

6. Houseplants or even plants brought in from outside can harvest mold. Remove dead leaves immediately and do not let water sit in the overflow tray.

7. Have your HVAC system cleaned. This system moves air throughout your entire home. If your air has dust, dander, mold spores, etc., it will not only spread it throughout the house, but it can also become trapped in the HVAC vent system causing a buildup. Having a buildup of dust, dander, and mold in your vents can create a fire hazard, as well as causing real health hazards to you and your family. Keeping this system clean will keep fresh, healthy air moving throughout your home.

The information in this blog has only scratched the surface on indoor allergies. There are many other ways that indoor allergies can affect you and your family. Hopefully this will be a starting point in your journey to preventing these allergens and the harm that they can do. ServiceMaster by Bailey can help you with some of the prevention. We offer HVAC, carpet, drapery, and upholstery cleaning services. By just having those services done a couple times a year, you can decrease the amount of indoor allergens significantly.