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Langley Home and Garden: Reducing allergens around the house

Breath easy, there’s ways to reduce allergens in the home.
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Ranka Burzan

Allergy sufferers are often forced to stay indoors at this time of year, but home can be a source of problems as well.

Home offenders like dust mites, pet dander and moulds may have flourished over the winter, making it imperative to do some spring cleaning.

Consider using natural products, suggested Langley’s Ranka Burzan, professional organizer and owner of SOS Solutions Organizing Simple.

Step one is cleaning out clutter.

“Cluttered homes create a lot of dust and you can’t properly clean a home that is cluttered,” explained Burzan. “Then once you’re ready to clean, you need to make sure you’re not using hazardous, chemical cleaners.”

Burzan suggested three rooms are key.

“The kitchen is a great place to start as it is probably one of the busiest rooms in your home and bacteria grows quickly there,” she said. “Remove hazardous cleaners from under the sink and switch them to environmentally friendly products. Also make sure to check pipes for leaks to avoid mold growth and clear out the garbage.”

When looking for environmentally friendly products, look for effectively strong ones that don’t contain harmful substances. This will benefit not only allergy sufferers but also families with small children and seniors.

“Your next important room to focus on is the bathroom and again it’s important to get rid of any toxic cleaners and instead use green cleaners on your shower, tub, toilet and sink, paying attention to corners and cracked caulking,” Burzan noted. “Make sure to open windows or create ventilation and also get into the habit of drying the shower walls after every use.”

Regular dusting and vacuuming is also key to sucking up all that dirt, pet dander and dust mites that play a role in allergies.

“The third place to focus is your bedroom. Besides your carpets and furniture, it’s also important to vacuum your mattress once every three months and replace your pillows every two years,” Burzan advised.