5 Ways to Make Your Home Allergy-Free for Visitors -

Your home should be a comfortable, relaxing place that friends and family want to visit. That’s why it’s important to make sure you’re not turning guests away because of the allergens in your home. Take a look at these five ways to make your home allergy-friendly for guests.

Switch to Hardwood Floors

Carpet is a popular flooring option, but it’s not the best one if you’re trying to create an allergy-friendly place for your visitors. Dirt and allergens can easily stick to the carpet and get embedded into the fibers. Even with regular vacuuming with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter vacuum, it’s possible to miss dust mites and other allergens. Consider installing vinyl or hardwood flooring, as both types make it easier to clean to keep allergens away.

Designate Pet-Free Areas

One of the most common allergens is pet dander, especially from cats. Keeping pets in your home is fine, but consider designating pet-free areas so that you have a place to host your friends and family who have allergies. Additionally, it helps to vacuum and clean immediately before your guests arrive in order to get rid of any stray hair or dander that has made its way into your guest areas.

Dust and Vacuum Regularly

allergy-free-dust-and-vacuum — Image via Flickr by blmurch

No matter how often you clean, dirt and dust accumulate on the furniture and throughout your home naturally. This creates the perfect environment for dust mites to thrive. Since dust mites are one of the most common allergens, you should dust and vacuum regularly to avoid an infestation. When you dust, use a wet cloth to prevent allergen particles from getting kicked up into the air. You should also make a point of minimizing clutter in your home to create less surface area for dust to settle.

Wash Blankets, Bedding, and Linens

Dust mites and other allergens also accumulate on the linens throughout your home. Get in the habit of washing curtains, blankets, bedding, and other linens to prevent allergen problems in your home. You may not have to do this as often if you schedule regular HVAC maintenance, since an efficient air conditioner helps to filter out allergens before they build upon your linens. Additionally, avoid buying throw pillows and other decors that are difficult to clean because it can be practically impossible to remove allergens from these surfaces.

Carefully Select Your Cleaning Products

It’s important to clean your home thoroughly, but some chemicals are too harsh and can contaminate the air just as much as many allergens do. When possible, choose non-abrasive chemicals that are eco-friendly and don’t trigger any sort of respiratory distress. It’s important to remember that some guests may even be allergic to the components of certain cleaning products. When in doubt, be sure to ask your guests.

These are just a few ideas to help you keep your home clean and allergy-free. One thing I did not include on the list is changing out your air and/or furnace filters which is just as important as anything mentioned on the list above. What else do you do to ensure an allergy-friendly environment for your guests? Tell us in the comments below.