Cleaning can be a ‘rock and a hard place’ activity for allergy sufferers. Those who are allergic to dust need to have a clean house. To have a clean house, you need to get up close and personal with the dust to remove it.
Between both of us, my husband struggles with dust allergies the most. I’m not in the clear though. I can tell when I am around too much dust. In addition to dust, my husband also has a pet allergy but both our cat and dog don’t affect him to much — so they get to stay.
When the very place you live in can cause so much discomfort, you need to have a plan to keep allergens away, and cleaning plays a big role in having a home that you can really relax in. Here are some cleaning tips for families that struggle with allergies in the home.
Choose your chores
If one person in your home has dust allergies, give them a pass for the ‘dust’ chores. If your house is like ours, there is no shortage of chores. Alternatively, if you are in a position to afford it, you can look at hiring someone to come in and complete just those tasks that cause allergic reactions.
If you do hire someone, be specific that it is due to allergies so they can be extra careful not to leave anything out that would bother you.
Use a damp cloth
No one with dust allergies wants to see those little particles floating around the room. Dry dusters tend to move around some dust, no matter how good they claim to be. If you are using a cloth or fabric duster, try making it a little damp so that dust gets trapped and stays trapped.
Move slower
Like the above. Moving at a quick pace will send dust particles floating into the air. Take your time and move slowly, especially around areas where dust accumulates so that you can remove dust without disturbing it too much.
Clear the clutter
Get rid of items that are no longer needed and don’t let excessive clutter pile up. Dust will find its way into nooks and crannies of items that sit around the house, unused. Keeping your home clear will make it easier to clean, and dust particles (or pet hair, etc) won’t find its way into a nice hiding spot and jump out when you least expect it.
Quality is important
Invest in the tools that will help you get the job done right the first time. A vacuum cleaner is an asset in the fight against allergens and there are certain options you want to consider before purchasing your vacuum cleaner.
For example, will you be the one cleaning and do you have the allergies? Fiddling with a bag full of dust can be detrimental for allergy sufferers so you will want a cleaner that has a more suitable option for disposal.
Another important feature is HEPA filtration. If you suffer from asthma and allergies, you may have heard of the term. A HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter, filters air, often through a mesh barrier, and the goal is to trap particles that can cause allergies or asthma. Not all vacuum cleaners have this feature though so make sure yours does.
We recently switched over to the Dyson DC77 ‘Animal’. Now, I think it’s called that because it cleans like an animal; my husband says it’s called that because it is great at picking up pet hair.
Po-tay-toe, po-tah-toe.
Our first run with the Dyson was in our living room, and on that room alone, I filled the canister. I was at a loss for words. The part that really got me though were the smallest of small-sized dust particles in there. Sitting like soft sand at the bottom of the canister. In the five years that we’ve lived here, our old vacuum never picked up anything as small as that. So now I get the heebie jeebies when I think about all of that dust that lurked in our carpets all those years.
Another nice feature one the DC77 are the additional attachments that allow you to remove allergens from different areas of your home.
(Click on the icons in the image below for more information).
After seeing what this machine (now known as the animal in our house) could do, my husband announced that he would be vacuuming the house for the rest of the day.
Click to learn more about the Dyson DC77 Animal at or check out all of the cleaners in the Dyson Cinetic line at http://www.dysoncanada.ca/en-CA/vacuum-cleaners/upright/dc77.aspx.
The Dyson Cinetic DC77 upright vacuum is available at major retailers and DysonCanada.ca starting at $699.99.
Disclosure: Thank you Dyson for sending a DC77 to
review for this feature. Opinions are not influenced.
Sheri publishes, and writes at This Bird’s Day where she shares all of the thoughts in her head without the voices. Sticking mainly with content for Canadians, Sheri shares family stories, product information and anything that fits into her (and her family’s) daily activities.
