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Keeping Your Bedroom Allergen-Free

There are several related areas to cover when trying to keep the level of bedroom allergens low. Few homes can hope to keep a completely allergen-free home, but it's possible to push it below the threshold of most sensitive persons.

Common dust is one of the common problems. Dust itself is not an irritant to the immune system of most people. But it often carries things that are: dust mites and their waste products. Dust mites aren't usually toxic, but their waste gets into the nose and eyes and causes chemical reactions. The body generates histamines and other immune system products, leading to the running nose and the itchy eyes.

Vacuuming at least twice per week with a good machine that has a HEPA filter and allergy-free bag or container is a good start. Keeping the dust level low keeps the dust mite population under control. Clean any add-on, removable filters at least once per month. Replace units at least once every three months or according to directions.

As dust rises through the air and moves through beams of sunlight one can judge how thick it is. Anything that is more than a few dozen particles calls for a unit that can remove them from the air electro-statically. Keep their use to moderate levels, however, since they generate ozone that can irritate lungs in too high concentration.

If the bedroom has hardwood or linoleum or stone floors rather than carpet, the job is that much easier. Follow up a vacuuming with a wipe down that contains compounds safe for you. That will vary with the specific type of allergen to which an individual is sensitive.

Bedding is another area of concentration. Since the face is often close to and/or on the sheets and comforter the possibility of picking up allergens is ever present. Dust mite waste is one source. They feed on dead skin cells we shed. Using removable pillow covers will help reduce the build up and exposure.

Some blankets or sheets are coated with allergen-destroying compounds. Look for those. But also keep a 'nose' out for any synthetic treatments that produce a skin rash or itchy eyes. It's unusual but not unknown for cotton sheet treatments to carry a compound to which a certain percentage are sensitive.

Curtains or drapes or blinds are another place to look for sources of allergens. Dust is present here too, as are any other airborne materials that can cause a reaction. Cigarette or cigar smoke easily finds its way onto these surfaces.

Compounds in the smoke readily stick to the curtains or blinds where they can come into close proximity to your nose and eyes. When you touch them, those compounds can be transferred to the skin. Even if your skin isn't sensitive, those chemicals or biological substances can make their way to the eyes, nose or mouth through later contact.

Clean them with a wet sponge, but make sure they dry fairly rapidly. A wet curtain, like a towel that is left in the hamper, can provide a medium for mold. Wash in the washer with hot water, at least 130F/54C to make sure all the spores are killed. Then dry at high heat.

For an extra level of protection, go over surfaces with a mild bleach solution (1 cup bleach, 1 gallon water), to keep them free of organisms that can cause problems.