How
To Create An Allergen-Free Bedroom
All day long you are exposed to various
contaminants in the environment. This exposure can be a stress to your immune system. Too
much stress and exposure can result in symptoms and fatigue. When you go to sleep at
night, you need an allergen-free environment in order for your immune system to repair
itself However, if your bedroom is full of allergens and pollutants, instead of
recovering, you may feel worse upon arising than when you went to bed.
Most of us spend about 33% of our time (8 hours) in our bedrooms which often have the
highest allergen content of any indoor area. It makes sense to remove as many allergens
and pollutants as possible from your bedroom, so you can wake up feeling better than when
you went to bed.
What allergens are found in the bedroom?
1. Dust and dust mites - mattresses, pillows, quilts, comforters, upholstered
furniture, carpets, drapes, muffles, stuffed toys, books, cardboard storage boxes, clothing
2. Mold - leather shoes, purses, damp carpets, bedding, heavy drapes, moisture
on walls and window sills, adjoining bathrooms, house plants, leftover food, pets (urine),
pet sleeping areas, worn clothing, damp towels
3. Pollen - carried on clothing and pet's fur, infiltration from windows, doors,
and the central air system.
4. Animal dander - carried on clothing, pets, infiltration through central air
system.
5. Cockroach - cast skins of insects
Now that you know where allergens occur, you are probably wondering how you can avoid
coming in contact with all of them. You may be getting some ideas about why you feel the
way you do in certain rooms or when you do specific activities. Since we all spend quite
a number of hours in the bedroom, let's consider what to do for ourselves in that room.
There are four basic procedures for reducing your
allergen exposure.
1. Isolate the allergen or allergen producing item.
2. Remove the allergen or allergen producing item.
3. Ventilate to remove allergens.
4. Filter allergens from the air.
What you can do to reduce your allergen exposure.
1. Remove as many allergen producing items as possible. List what can be removed
from your bedroom that either produces or harbors allergens.
2. Keep pets out of the room and preferably
out of the house. Animal dander is
very light weight and remains airborne for hours. It also sticks to clothing and personal
belongings and is thus transported to areas where animals do not live.
3. Damp mop all hard surfaces to remove dust. There are new electrostatically
charged cleaning cloths which trap and hold the dirt as you clean. Wear a mask while
cleaning to minimize exposure.
4. Tape around windows to keep pollen from infiltrating.
5. Remove any visible
mold from surfaces with Safety Clean. Once the mold is
removed, spray the surface with X-158 or other nontoxic mold
retardant.
6. Use allergen
bedding. These zippered, allergen impenetrable covers on mattresses, box springs, and pillows to
reduce your exposure.
7. Use a room air purifier to remove airborne allergens such as dust, pollen,
mold, and animal dander.
8. Wash in hot water to kill dust mites or use
D-Mite Dust Mite Laundry treatment.
9. Vacuum twice weekly with a vacuum equipped with a high-efficiency air filter.
10. Keep only the necessities in your bedroom. Eliminate as many of the items
listed above as possible.
11. Keep furnishing simple and only those that are easy to clean.
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