People prone to allergies often try to stay indoors as much as possible in an effort to avoid the things that trigger those allergies. Sadly, your Navarre, FL home may also be a hotbed for allergens. Though the following four allergens are quite common in millions of homes across the country, there are things you can do to protect yourself from them.
1. Dust and Dust Mites
We’ll begin our list with the most ubiquitous allergen of all. Dust is absolutely everywhere. It floats through the air, sticks to your carpets and the upholstery of your furniture, accumulates on shelves, tables, windowsills and other surfaces, and finds its way into your bedroom in copious quantities.
Moreover, dust mites also often live inside of dust particles. These tick-like little pests feed on skin and other organic matter. Enzymes in their feces and their shells can sometimes cause allergic reactions.
With such omnipresence, you might think that eliminating dust from your home would be hopeless, leaving those allergic to it in a rather unfortunate state. Luckily, vacuuming regularly and thoroughly wiping down surfaces like those listed above can go a long way toward reducing dust-related allergy symptoms to manageable levels.
Another important thing is to be mindful of your HVAC system’s filters. These filters can remove a good amount of the dust in the air while your HVAC unit operates normally, especially if you use filters with MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) ratings of 8 or higher.
HVAC industry professionals recommend replacing your filters at least once every 90 days. Though licensed HVAC technicians can do so as part of their maintenance work, they typically conduct maintenance checks on a system only once or twice per year. That means that you’ll have to remember to do the lion’s share of filter replacements on your own.
2. Pets
Having pets that ignite your allergy symptoms won’t make you love your pets any less, but it won’t make your life any easier, either. Those who are allergic to pets are typically allergic to substances in their saliva, urine or dander. (Dander is the tiny material — usually dead skin cells — that your pets shed throughout the day as party of simply existing.)
To minimize your exposure to these particulates, wash your pets carefully with pet-friendly shampoo and water on a regular basis and brush their fur or hair. Also, to pick up more shed material, just as you would to reduce dust, vacuum your carpets and furniture upholstery.
3. Cockroaches and Insects
Not having pets does not necessarily imply that you don’t have any animals in your home, as plenty of insects may be present there without you wanting them to be. Cockroaches, for example, are an especially abundant source of allergenic material, since they frequently shed part of their bodies and leave feces and saliva behind them, trace amounts of which could waft into the air and inflame your allergies.
To prevent infestation by cockroaches or other insects, you must meticulously seal up the various cracks and crevices that could be on your walls, floor and ceiling. Cockroaches also thrive around moisture, so be sure that you either don’t have any plumbing leaks or can hire a plumber to resolve such issues. In especially serious cases of infestation, you’ll have to hire an exterminator to chase the bugs from your living area.
4. Pollen
Pollen is omnipresent in many areas outside during the warmer seasons. Even if you are careful to shut your home’s windows and doors tightly, pollen might still find its way in when you go in or out, through unsealed areas and through any form of ventilation you may have. Your air filter may be able to help remove some of the pollen that makes its way into your air.
The above threats can all be annoying — even debilitating — for those who suffer from allergies, but none of them are insurmountable. For help fighting indoor allergens, call Lunsford Air Conditioning and Heating today and ask for our indoor air quality services.
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