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5 Changes to Make To Your Home If You Suffer From A Dust Allergy

By Sleep Health Energy Team · · Updated

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allergy free bedroom

Dust, mold and pollen can make allergies flare indoors all year. If you have a dust allergy, small changes at home can cut your exposure.

We spend many hours a night in our bedrooms, so it makes sense to start there. Here are five simple but efficient things you can do to cut down on dust, mold and pollen in your bedroom.

Say Goodbye to Allergens and Hello to Fresh and Clean Air

Allergens are a hazard to healthy living and you can have difficult times in trying to figure out how to get rid of them.

Here are some ways to reduce these allergens in your bedroom.

Get Rid of the Clutter

The less stuff you have in your bedroom, the more unlikely allergens will have a place to hang out. Moreover, it will be easy for you to clean your room thoroughly once a week.

You might also need to remove the old rags you hang on to, knickknacks, magazines, and rotting newspapers, clothes and other porous items.

Since you and stubborn allergens both spend a lot of time in your bedroom, it’s a great place to focus on first.

Purify Your Bedroom’s Air

Making your home allergen-free sounds like a daunting task. Right? You can't eliminate mold spores, dust mites and pollen completely, but you can reduce them.

These tips will help keep them in check.

  • Having your home well-ventilated and designing it with non-leaking ductwork is the first line of defense against letting allergens into your living space.
  • Use a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) purifier. A true HEPA filter can remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 microns in size, including dust, pollen and mold. If you need unbiased advice on the best air purifier for your home, have a look at ByPurify’s best air purifiers guide.
  • Keep indoor humidity at or below 50%. The NIEHS recommends a dehumidifier or air conditioner for this, since dust mites and mold thrive in damp air.
  • Close your windows on high-pollen and windy days. Check your local pollen forecast to know when counts are high.
  • Pollen and mold spores settle on clothing, so when you come home from outdoors, change your clothes and take a shower.

Make Sure Your Bedroom’s En-Suite Bathroom is Spotless

Bathrooms tend to grow mold, while bedrooms host dust mites. Therefore, you need to:

  • Always inspect your water pipes for leaks and if there are any, fix them.
  • Clean your walls with a nontoxic cleaner.
  • Ensure that you route the ventilation fans to the outside, and run them for 30 minutes after every shower or bath.
  • Lastly, scrub the mold on your pipes and fixtures.

Get Rid of Dust Generators in Your Room

Carpets, rugs and upholstery trap dust and dust mites. Washable throw rugs over wood or tile are easier to keep clean. Damp mop regularly and wipe down dusty surfaces.

The NIEHS also suggests encasing your mattress and pillows in allergen-impermeable covers and washing bedding weekly in hot water (130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit).

If you must have carpets in your bedroom, choose low pile and vacuum weekly with a HEPA filter vacuum. Wear a mask while cleaning if dust sets off your symptoms. According to ByPurify.com, a good vacuum cleaner can help reduce allergens in your home.

Invest in Smart Landscaping Outside Your Bedroom

If your bedroom overlooks your garden, you need to make smart decisions when it comes to landscaping. The heavy, sticky pollen that bees carry from plant to plant rarely causes allergies. The tiny, lightweight pollen blown about by wind is the main culprit.

Don’t add allergenic trees like the male maple and ash to your garden. Instead, plant low-allergy trees like dogwood and magnolia. The female ash and maple trees are also low-allergy but always purchase them from a dependable nursery source to gain assurance of the tree's gender.

These five changes can reduce dust and other allergens in your bedroom and may ease your symptoms. If allergies still disrupt your sleep, see a doctor or allergist about testing and treatment.

Mark Johnson is the Marketing Manager at ByPurify, a leading online resource specializing in clean air technology in the areas of vacuum cleaners and air purifiers. The site offers reviews and buying guides to help their clients make their homes and offices a clean, allergy-free space.

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