3. Refrigerator. Wipe up excessive moisture to avoid mold growth. Discard moldy or out-of-date food. Regularly empty and clean dripping pan and clean or replace moldy rubber seals around doors.
4. Cabinets and counters. Clean cabinets and countertops with detergent and water. Check under-sink cabinets for plumbing leaks. Store food — including pet food — in sealed containers.
5. Food waste. Place garbage in a can with an insect-proof lid and empty trash daily. Keeping the kitchen free of food crumbs will help reduce the chance you will have rodents or cockroaches.
Bathroom
1. Ventilation. Install and use an exhaust fan to reduce moisture while taking baths or showers.
2. Floors. Remove carpeting and use tile, vinyl, wood or linoleum flooring. Use washable rugs.
3. Walls. Remove wallpaper and install tile, or paint walls with mold-resistant enamel paint.
4. Shower and tub. Towel-dry the tub and enclosure after use. Scrub mold from tub, shower and faucets with bleach. Clean or replace moldy shower curtains and bathmats.
5. Toilet and sink. Scrub mold from plumbing fixtures. Repair leaks.
Basement
1. Flooring. Remove moldy or water-damaged carpeting. If possible, use concrete, vinyl or linoleum flooring.
2. Furniture. Consider replacing upholstered sofas and chairs with furniture made of leather, wood, metal or plastic.
3. Foundation, windows and stairwells. Check for and repair any sources of leaks or water damage.
4. Air quality. Use a dehumidifier to reduce dampness, and clean it once a week.
5. Storage. Store collectibles and clothes in plastic storage bins.
6. Clothes dryer. Vent moisture outside.
Entire House
1. Temperature and humidity. Hot, humid houses are breeding grounds for dust mites and mold. Maintain temperature at 70 F (21 C) and keep relative humidity no higher than 50 percent. Clean or replace small-particle filters in central heating and cooling systems and in room air conditioners at least once a month.
2. Pests. Control cockroaches and mice with inexpensive traps from the hardware store. If that’s not effective, hire a professional exterminator. To remove allergy-triggering insect and mouse residue, thoroughly vacuum carpeting and wash hard surfaces. To prevent re-infestation, seal cracks or other possible entryway.
3. Mold. Close doors and windows during warm weather and use air conditioning and dehumidifiers. Remove nonwashable contaminated materials such as carpeting
. Clean washable material with a solution of 5 percent chlorine bleach and wear a protective mask when cleaning away mold. Check the roof and ceilings for water leaks.
4. Weekly cleaning routine. Damp-mop wood or linoleum flooring and vacuum carpeting. Use a vacuum cleaner with a small-particle or a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Use a damp cloth to clean other surfaces, including the tops of doors, windowsills and window frames. If you have allergies, either wear a dust mask or get someone who doesn’t have allergies to do this job. Change or clean heating and cooling system filters once a month.
5. Smoking. Don’t allow smoking anywhere inside your house.
How To Allergy-Proof Your Home was originally published on blackdoctor.org
