If you’re like most people, you spend about a third of your day in the bedroom. And if you have allergies and asthma, your bedroom is the best place to start eliminating dust mites and other common indoor allergens.

Dust mites

To reduce dust mites in your bed, encase pillows and mattresses in dust mite-resistant sheets. Avoid using feather pillows and down comforters, and wash your bedding — including blankets — in hot water (130° F or hotter) at least once a week. Encase your box spring and mattress in a dust- or allergen-proof, zippered plastic cover. Your child’s stuffed animals — a common source of dust mite contamination — should be washable. Launder them weekly. These simple steps can reduce dust mite exposure 100- to 1,000-fold within one month, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).

The Journal of the American Medical Association recommends that you take the following steps to control dust mites in your bedroom:

• Use washable curtains and shades, and wash them in hot water weekly. Avoid upholstered furniture, which can harbor dust mites.
• If possible, remove wall-to-wall carpet, which can be difficult to clean thoroughly, and launder throw rugs in hot water once a week. (If removing the carpet is not an option, vacuum at least once a week. You can also spray carpeting with a 3% tannic acid solution every two months to kill dust mite allergen. Ask your doctor for more information on where to get this solution and the best way to apply it.
• Dust and mop weekly, including closets.
• In closets, store shoes and out-of-season clothing in plastic covers, which can be dusted easily.

Pets

Animal dander (flakes of dead skin) and other animal products such as saliva and urine are some of the most common indoor allergens. Dander can linger in household air, carpets, and furniture for a period of weeks and sometimes months. If possible, keep household pets out of the bedroom. Bathe and brush furry pets regularly to reduce animal dander.

Air filters

Air filters can be a healthy addition to any bedroom. Whether it’s a freestanding room model or something you attach to the central air system, filters can help eliminate a wide variety of airborne allergens. A HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter can remove 99% of indoor allergens from the air.

Dehumidifiers

A dehumidifier can help reduce dust mites by drying out the air. (Dust mites thrive in humidity levels of 30% to 50%.) However, people who have asthma should exercise caution with dehumidifiers, since dry air can irritate the nose and throat. If you use a dehumidifier, clean it often to prevent molds and fungi from growing inside the unit.

Keeping your bedroom relatively free of dust mites and other allergens takes some effort, but the results — improved sleep, less congestion, and fewer nighttime asthma episodes — are well worth it. Once you’ve gotten in the habit of keeping your bedroom healthy, you’ll want to keep the rest of your house just as healthy, too.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 25th, 2007 at 8:32 am and is filed under Environment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.