Room by Room Tips for a Healthier Home

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House Plants

• Plant pots should be set on moisture-proof barriers.
• House plants help counteract offgassed chemicals and contribute to balancing internal humidity.
• Research shows these 10 plants are most effective at achieveing the above statement: Areca palm, Reed palm, Dwarf date palm, Boston fern, Janet Craig dracaena, English ivy, Australian sword fern, Peace lily, Rubber plant, Weeping fig.
• Don’t let dead leaves accumulate on the soil.

Smoking

• There should be absolutely no smoking in the home of a person with asthma.

Humidifier

• If you use a humidifier in the winter, keep humidity levels below 40 percent.
• Follow the manufacturer’s directions about cleaning and maintaining humidifiers.

Ducts

• Ducts should not be caked with dust.
• Hire professionals to clean your ducts, and be sure they take great care not to spread the irritants into the air.
• When the ducts are cleaned, have the blower cabinet and blower cleaned of all dust.
• Inspect your ducts by removing a register and looking in with a mirror and flashlight.

CO Detectors

• Install carbon monoxide detectors in your home.

Lead

• Have the paint in your home tested for lead.
• Don’t sand lead paint.
• Always have lead paint and asbestos professionally mitigated.
• If you suspect the dust in your furniture or in your rugs or carpeting is contaminated, purchase a sample bag from a laboratory and return it for analysis of its contents.

Vacuuming

• If you have allergies or asthma, use a vacuum with a HEPA filtration system.
• If you have a central vacuuming system, be sure it vents to the exterior.
• If you hire people to vacuum your home, make sure they use your equipment, not theirs, as some vacuums can spread allergens.

Deep Cleaning

• Use a deep cleaner with a built-in heater, such as the BISSELL Proheat 2X, to reduce dust mite waste allergen, pet and pollen allergen in furniture and carpeting.

Area Rugs

• Don’t use a steamer to clean area rugs on hardwood floors. Lift the rugs or steam them outside instead.
• Synthetic rugs seem to bother some people less than wool rugs.

Pets

• If you are allergic to your pet, it is probably best for you and your pet to find it a new, loving home. However, if this isn't an option for you, try to keep the pet out of your bedroom. In addition, frequent vacuuming can help to remove the dander from carpets and upholstery and bathing pets can help reduce dander.