We all love our cozy furnished rooms, centrally heated, wall-to-wall carpets, thick curtains, fluffy cushions and premium bedding. But do we realize we’re providing the ideal conditions for the highly allergy-forming house dust mites? We love and dote on our pets, but they are also contributing to the rise in allergies. Molds are flourishing in part because newer buildings are more airtight, condensation builds up faster and molds get the perfect damp environment they love.
These are the most recognizable allergy triggers, but there is also a vast array of synthetic products, household chemicals, pesticides and emissions from gas cooking that are contributors.
Allergic Reactions may not be cured, but in many cases can be prevented, by identifying and reducing allergy triggers. Most people can make considerable improvements to their home’s health.
Don’t be intimated by the scope of change in your home! Begin by focusing on specific issues affecting your health and then address future concerns.

 

Four simple steps will reduce dust mite allergen to ten percent of their original level.
1. Ventilate the room well,
2. Keep humidity low,
3. Frequently clean carpets
4. Use allergen-barrier covers.

 

You can make dustmites feel unwelcome by having minimum shelving, using sheets that can be washed at high temperatures (cotton) and taking up carpets. Replacing curtains with wipeable blinds makes it even harder for mites to take up residence. If you do have curtains, use light, washable cotton curtains and wash them frequently.
Bed linens are one of the chief culprits for providing a home for the dust mite. Mites are destroyed only in hot water. Use cotton bedding and wash weekly at high temperatures. Pillows, quilts, duvets and blankets that cannot be washed every week should be replaced with synthetic or foam equivalents. Damp dust all surfaces often and store clothing in closed drawers. If you can’t remove the carpet, vacuuming often helps remove dead mite bodies and fecal pellets that are light enough to become airborne when disturbed. The best way to keep existing allergen away from you is to enclose your mattress in an allergen-barrier cover, this traps existing allergen and cuts mites off from their food source. Covers are sold in major department stores. Mattresses should be totally encased in the cover, closed with a zipper, the types that work like fitted sheets will not do the job.
Broaden your fight to the main living areas of your home after you’ve addressed the bedroom. If you’re open to the minimalist approach, you’re in luck. This helps of course by not providing surfaces on which dust mites can settle, you can use loose sofa covers, which you can wash frequently and they look extremely stylish. Besides incorporating the same measures as above (vacuuming often, dusting with a damp cloth, reducing indoor heat), make sure you open windows often (to increase ventilation) and  make sure you maintain your flues and vents to your fireplace. Keep your air filters on central heating clean and use dehumidifies in damp basements. Explore alternatives to upholstered furniture and flooring. Rattan and wicker, bamboo and sea grass are good choices. Leather furniture, where dust mites can be wiped off with a cloth are excellent options and hard floors are well worth the investment.
To reduce molds, fungi and spores, you need to maintain a well-ventilated, low humidity home. Open windows a half an hour twice a day, wash bathmats frequently, as these are a common source of fungal contamination, don’t pack clothes too tightly in wardrobes and keep surfaces clean in kitchens and bathrooms. To keep bath rims mold free, regularly repair or change the seal. You can add moisture absorbing plants to your bathroom to keep condensation in check, Boston fern and Kimberley Queen are very effective. In fact plants for your home, if you choose wisely and care for them properly, will do wonders for the air in your home. They absorb carbon dioxide and some can remove airborne pollutants such as formaldehyde, benzene, cigarette smoke and ozone through both their leaves and roots (per a study sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration). Some of the best greenery to keep are the Spider Plant, Peace Lily and Palms, Ferns, Lady Palm Pot Tulip, Pot Chrysanthemum and Moth Orchid and English Ivy and Gerbera.
If you need to reduce allergens from pets, you will have to prevent them from even entering the bedroom. Follow all the above remedies and additionally shampoo your pets twice weekly
with a denaturing product. One study found that cat allergen can be reduced by 90% when both pets and furniture are regularly washed. You can also apply this product to walls and furniture. If you move into a home where a cat lived, washing down the walls is imperative, cat allergen can cling to walls years after a cat has left. To prevent animal fleas, besides vacuuming daily and changing the bag often, try a shampoo or spray containing limonene, an extract from citrus fruit. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth sparingly onto rugs and upholstery where they lie. It abrades the flea’s outer shell causing it to dry up and die.
One of the simplest steps you can take in your home is throw out all the toxic chemicals and go back to basics, use products your grandmother used. You can do a lot of housework with a blend of 50 percent vinegar and water, excellent for all of your damp dusting and window cleaning. If you need something stronger, a pint of water which you add four tablespoons of liquid soap and six tablespoons of baking soda or four of borax will do
the job.
For mold and mildew, use a mixture of borax and water in a spray bottle. In the bathroom, wash down the walls with a borax solution and leave it on: borax inhibits mold growth. Coating the base of shower curtains with Vaseline or baby oil is effective for inhibiting the mold formation. If you have a problem with limescale, soak a paper towel in vinegar and leave it draped over the area for an hour, then rinse.
Two easy steps you can take is throw away all anti-bacterial cleaning
products and aerosols. Household disinfectants contain a number of dangerous volatile chemicals,
including the highly toxic cresol. Aerosols are harmful for everyone, replace them with products sold in a liquid or solid form.
For air fresheners and plug in deodorizers, burn essential oils instead. Grow mint or basil on the windowsill of your kitchen. 

Nancy Brandling has been an allergy sufferer, is a researcher and writer.