In Australia, around 2.7 million people have asthma.
For those people spring is a difficult time as pollen hits a high and that familiar wheezing and shortness of breath takes hold.
While the outside can be tough to control, your home should be your haven and as free from triggers as they can be.
Here’s 4 triggers you may not have thought of and how you can take back that control.
The Mould Monster Returns
It’s that icky green marking that we think of when someone mentions mould but it’s the airborne spores mould produces that causes the problems for asthma and allergy sufferers.
The spores can cause allergic or histamine reactions such as a runny nose, breathing issues, sore eyes and lethargy. Spores can also cause asthma attacks, according to the National Asthma Council.
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Breathe Easy at Home: In a spray bottle combine 1:1 parts vinegar and water and spray generously on the infestation. Leave it for 10 minutes and wipe. Wait until dry and then repeat the process. This solution works well for smaller mould infestations. |
You could also purchase a dehumidifier or DampRid, to help remove moisture from the air and reduce the spread of mould. If you have one, use your exhaust fan while showering and open windows in your home, specifically humid areas, as often as possible.
Contaminated Carpet
Do you vacuum as regularly – or thoroughly – as you should? Carpet is a great choice for people with asthma or allergies because carpet acts as a filter for your home, trapping airborne pollutants and improving indoor air quality.
Unfortunately, if your carpet is dirty, it becomes a reservoir for bacteria, mould and allergens, releasing them into the air.
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Breathe Easy at Home: Give you home a detailed vacuum once a week, using all attachments to get to hard-to-reach places. They can be a little more expensive but purchasing a HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter vacuum cleaner is a fantastic idea. HEPA filters are ideal for people with asthma because the filtration system prevents dust being blown back into the air. |
Vacuum your lounge suite as well while you’re at it and make sure you are extra thorough if you have pets at home – pet hair and dander is known to cause allergy and asthma symptoms.
Another option? Delegate the vacuuming to someone else and remember to stay out of the house for about 20 minutes afterwards.
Healthy Mattress = Happy Sleeping
Did you know that there are thousands of dust-mites potentially crashing with you every night while you sleep? These little critters excrete twice their body weight each day and that excrement contains toxic enzymes that cause allergic reactions and respiratory issues.
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Breathe Easy at Home: Open your bedroom windows regularly and at the start of every season, take your mattress into the sunshine for an hour or so – the UV light will help kill off any nasties. |
Invest in a high-quality mattress protector and ensure that you wash all of your linen regularly with hot water.
Poor Indoor Air
You may not have considered it but a dirty air-conditioner can wreak havoc on the indoor air quality in your home. Contaminants from the built-up gunk hiding in your filters could be blowing throughout your home every time you turn it on!
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Breathe Easy at Home: We recommend cleaning out your filters once or twice a year, ensuring that you’re following the manufacturer’s instructions. |
You could also grab some indoor plants from your local nursery. Some types are known for their air-purifying qualities. They look great, too!
Get the Professionals In
Sometimes you just want the peace of mind of having an expert take care of a job for you. The E-Dry team offers services that ease the severity of your asthma and allergy symptoms. We provide Healthy Mattress Cleaning, Mould Remediation and our signature Carpet Dry Cleaning in our service range! You can be confident our equipment, skills and specialised solutions can target the contaminants in your home to make it a little easier to manage your symptoms.
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