Did you know that when you first begin to tackle an allergy-producing home keeping problem that you are most likely to stir up the very allergen that you are trying to clean away? This is true for dust, pollen, and molds. Yet, there is no way to get effective relief unless you do the clean-up. So, take proper precautions as you go. As we've talked about, using masks, wearing gloves, insuring proper ventilation while you are cleaning and choosing cleaning products that don't irritate your respiratory system can help you tackle allergens without succumbing to them.
When cleaning a bathroom, you can close the door to separate it from the rest of the house, cover the vents, and open a window. This will help keep from spreading stirred up mold into other rooms. Be sure, though, to keep adequate ventilation for yourself as you clean.
A box of baking soda placed in a closet can help absorb extra moisture and unpleasant smells. This will help your closet stay smelling fresh. Some people use sticks of chalk for the same reason. You can keep it in an open container or tie it up in cheesecloth and hang it, much as you would hang a sachet. Below, you can see how Martha Stewart has tied chalk in a bundle and hung it by a simple ribbon.
The holidays are coming. Most of us will be digging out treasured decorating items, holiday china, ornaments, and the like. This means we will be opening containers in which dust and other allergens have collected and also that we may be tracking to and from dusty storage areas. Here's where getting to the dust quickly will keep us from getting sick. Who wants to go through the holidays sneezing and wheezing? Start now, in September, to give the storage areas you will be working in a thorough dusting and sweeping. Be prepared as you open boxes to wipe items and to clean out the tubs they are in.
Be prepared to do some extra dusting and vacuuming during September and October. A little extra elbow grease while pollen counts are high might be paid off in feeling well. Plus, your house will be in good shape for the holidays.
It's unrealistic to think that you will ever achieve a totally allergen free residence. Even if you cleaned 24/7, you wouldn't be able to eradicate every spore, every grain of pollen, or every dust mite from the air. (Neither would you be able to eliminate every germ.) These things are a part of life. We need to cultivate good health in the hope that our bodies will learn to deal with allergens. However, we can help our immune systems by cleaning away the excess, thus reducing our exposure. Cleanliness, not fanatic avoidance, is what we're after. For those of us with allergies, we may need to pay more attention to cleanliness than people who are not bothered by such. However, obsessing will only stress our bodies and make things worse in the long run. Balance!
Enjoy!
Elizabeth
2 comments:
Even if you clean it everyday, there is still possibility of getting virus inside the house.
Howdy. Thanks for your observation. That's so true. That's why it's a question of balance between cleaning enough and yet not obsessing over it. :) .
Post a Comment