How to clean our homes to reduce the risks from allergens

It’s estimated that 470,000 people in Ireland have asthma and over 60 per cent of these also suffer from hay fever. Pollen is one of the biggest triggers for asthma. A trigger is anything that irritates the airways and causes the symptoms of asthma to appear or worsen. Other major triggers for asthma sufferers are house dust mites, pets, pollens and moulds.

With up to 50 per cent of Irish people expected to suffer from hay fever over the next ten years, this raises the question of how best to clean and maintain our homes to reduce the risks from allergens.

Here at McCreery Contract Cleaning we’ve been doing our ‘homework’ and we have compiled these tips to help you ease the suffering of those household members living with an allergy.

Guard against dust mites

House dust mites are a very common allergen; thousands of the microscopic bugs live in our homes in furniture, on carpets and especially on beds. These little creatures are mostly harmless, however when we breathe in their waste products this can spell trouble for allergy sufferers.

Where possible, people affected by dust mites should opt for hard flooring and consider using a barrier covering on their mattress, duvet and pillows. Linen, stuffed toys and soft furnishing should be washed at 60 degrees Celsius to reduce mites.

De-clutter your space to reduce dust-traps and consider wearing a mask as you clean, leave the house for a few hours to literally allow the dust to settle after cleaning.

As part of our household cleaning services we use vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters. We recommend HEPA filters to those with allergies as they are much more effective at picking up the house dust mite and do not scatter the dust therefore reducing the effects for allergy sufferers.

Reduce the risks from our pets

One of the most aggressive allergic reactions is to pet hair. We Irish love our pets but for those who are allergic to pets this can be really difficult dilemma. The main offenders are cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters. For our beloved furry friends here are few tips to ease suffering.

• Keep pets outside in a garage, shed or kennel.
• Never allow pets to rest on furniture or enter the bedrooms.
• Make regular visits to the pet parlour to groom your pets therefor reducing hair loss.
• Regularly hoover up after pets and clean their bedding.

You might also be interested to read our blog, Top Cleaning Tips for Pet Owners for more advice.

Choose fragrance and chemical free cleaning products

Using heavily scented cleaners with harsh chemicals can actually make your allergies worse, not better. If you have allergies, the fragrances in cleaners can trigger symptoms and chemicals can aggravate conditions such as asthma. McCreery Contract Cleaning uses an eco-friendly cleaning product called ‘GoGreen’ for all our clients. All the ingredients in our cleaning products are derived from plants and vegetables; they are free from artificial colours, fragrances, petrochemicals, SLES, parabens, phosphates and chemicals. We also have odour-free cleaning products available.

Reduce moulds spores

Moulds can trigger asthma symptoms in some people. Mould spores are found in damp places in the home especially bathrooms and kitchens. Special paint is available on the market to resist mould on walled surfaces and a dehumidifier will help to reduce the moisture in the air. The key to keeping your home free from mould is to clean it regularly especially tiled surfaces, sanitary wear, and shower curtains.

Don’t try to shampoo carpets yourself. The leftover moisture could cause mould growth. To tackle this we recommend dry mop carpet cleaning which we offer as part of our deep cleaning service. This will breathe new life into your carpets and reduce any risk of dust mites, moulds and fungus.

Household plants can also pose a risk to allergy sufferers, so cover the soil with pebbles or aquarium stones to reduce the risk of mould and try not to over water plans.

More tips to reduce allergens in the home

Avoid air-dry laundry. Clothing left outside will pick up pollen and mould. Use the clothes dryer instead or a clothes horse inside the home.

Use a damp cloth and mop when cleaning. They’ll trap allergens instead of releasing them into the air.

The cleaner your path or patio is, the less likely someone is to carry dust or pollen into your house. Take shoes off at the door so dust and pollens don’t get tracked in.

At McCreery Contract Cleaning we provide discreet and highly-skilled house cleaning services specially tailored to your households needs, using all-natural and environmentally friendly cleaning products and methods. To arrange a free consultation and see how we can ease the effect of allergens in your home please contact us.