Allergy Alert: The 10 Best Strategies for Cleaner Air
1. At home or when driving, keep windows closed and set air conditioner on re-circulate to keep out seasonal pollens and mold spores, if you suffer with seasonal allergies
2. Change or wash air conditioner filters frequently
3. If you have allergies to pets (i.e. cat) use a central air filtration system in your home and/or portable room HEPA air filter
4. Use an exhaust fan in your bathroom to reduce mold spore growth and excess humidity
5. Dehumidifier may be useful in below ground rooms or basements if mildew is an issue
6. Place disposable filter covers over forced air vents in your home that may provide additional filtration
7. Avoid open windows in your home during high pollen days (check out the local pollen count at www.aaaai.org/nab)
8. HEPA vacuums and or pre-filter bags prevent dust from re-entering the room after vacuuming
9. If you are very sensitive to dust, leave the room for at least 30 minutes after sweeping/cleaning to allow dust particles to settle
10. Remove unnecessary dust collectors in the bedroom if you have indoor allergies – placing a “stuffed toy or pillow” in a zippered plastic bag in the freezer periodically will help to reduce the amount of dust mites
Dr. Clifford W. Bassett is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital and on the faculty of NYU School of Medicine. He is the current vice chair for public education committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. No information in this blog is intended to diagnose or treat any condition.
Tags: air conditioner, air filters, allergies, allergy, clean air, dehumidifier, dust, HEPA filter, indoor allergies, pet allergies, pollen, seasonal allergies
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Brand new bit of info that has not yet received lots of attention… Those with a mold issue will also benefit from looking into the remarkable mold research done by environmental expert Dr Ed Close. Simply diffusing a therapeutic-grade essential oil regularly in a building can result in an environment very hostel to mold.
In one instance, 10,667 stachybotrys mold spores were identified in a per cubic meter area. After diffusing Thieves essential oil for forty-eight hours, Dr Close retested. Only thirteen stachybotrys remained. Similarly, 75,000 stachybotrys mold spores were identified in a sample of sheetrock. After seventy-two hours of diffusing, no stachybotrys mold spores remained.
I would just like to expand on tip #5. I live in a basement apartment and have a problem with mildew. I bought one dehumidifier, but it wasn’t helping, so I got one for each room and it made all the difference. I can breathe again! Moral of the story: Make sure if you’re buying a dehumidifier, buy one large enough for your whole space or enough smaller ones to work for your environment.
If you must have your windows opened, there are special screens made of a fabric that repels particles as small as 8 microns. This will repel pollens as they are generally larger than 20 microns. Since the material repels instead of traps it doesn’t need to be cleaned that often. While it is best to keep the windows closed, if they are going to be open they should be fitted with microair screens. Check out the picture at