How to Eliminate or Reduce Allergies
Hi my name is Dustin Chaffin, General Manager of Great Vacs. As a child I suffered severely from Allergies. I still struggle with them to this day. Below is some tips to reduce or eliminate allergies that I have learned in my life. We all suffer from different kinds of allergies. For example some people are allergic to animals while I am more allergic to plant pollens. However these tips should be beneficial to all allergy sufferers.
1. Vacuum Cleaner-
Get a vacuum cleaner that has HEPA Filtration (filters at least to .3 microns). I suggest not getting a HEPA vacuum cleaner at your local super store as they are built so cheap that the dirt hits the Filter and back tracks and blows out through the seals. You can read more on that from my article Picking the Right Vacuum Cleaner. So pick a well made Vacuum Cleaner with HEPA Filtration.
Get a Pet or animal vacuum cleaner that does a good job picking up pet hair off the carpet. A lot of vacuum cleaners that are sold as “Pet” or “Animal” vacuums actually do a very poor job. Why is pet hair important? People are not necessarily allergic to Pet Hair but they could be Allergic to Pet Saliva (very common). So say you have allergies to Cat Saliva. The Cat licks its hair. The saliva dries out and then as the hair comes loose the dried saliva can become air borne. You breathe that in and have allergies. We solve this by vacuuming up the hair and filtering the air (see air purifier below). So we want the pet hair out of your air, your carpet and your couches and in a HEPA vacuum bag.
Get a vacuum cleaner that does a good job with cleaning down deep into your carpet. This vacuum cleaner’s suction tube should be located in the middle of the power nozzle (most low end vacuums have the suction tube on half of one end so only half the power nozzle has suction and basically are not a good vacuum cleaner but a good sweeper). When its in the middle it has suction all the way across and is able to pull dirt from deep down in your carpet. This is important to get the allergens, dirt, and other bad stuff out of your carpet and into your bag where they belong.
Vacuums that we have seen do a good job at the above criteria are Kirby Vacuum Cleaners (Gsix or newer), Rainbow Vacuum Cleaners (Eseries models and newer) and Filter Queen Vacuums. If you are unsure of the perfect vacuum for your needs also visit our Best Vacuum Cleaner For You; form and we can suggest the perfect one for your needs.
2. Air Cleaner or Air Purifier –
There are two popular styles of Air Cleaners or Air Purifiers. There is the Ionic and the HEPA Filtration types. The Ionic ones seem to attract particles faster but then over time loose their ability to filter (unless you clean it frequently). The HEPA Air Purifiers and Air Filters ones typically last a lot longer. I would personally suggest getting a HEPA one and even better the HEPA/Ionic Hybrids Air Filters (does both). The Air Cleaner should be quiet and running in the background without bothering you. Placement of the Air Purifier is important as well. Sometimes two or three may need to be purchased depending on your house size. I suffer from allergies the most at night so in bedrooms or living spaces is a good place to put them. In my house I have central air conditioning and central heating. I have placed one in my house where the air is sucked into the central air and heat. That is a very good place to put one because the air that is sucked into your home and distributed to ever room is already clean. I also suggest changing your central air filter often for optimum allergy relief.
3. Carpet shampooer -
Clean your carpets often. I would suggest going with a dry type shampooer (puts less water in your carpet) and make sure your not allergic to the solution. There are also some shampoo chemical solutions that are good for allergies.
4. Couches and chairs –
To help with Allergies I would also recommend having leather couches, if not you must try to clean your upholstery couches as often as possible. Make sure they are clean and there is no pet hair on them. You should vacuum them occasionally (don’t vacuum leather couches, wipe them down) for dirt and dead skin.
5. Other Items to clean –
I would also vacuum your mattress for that as well. The Kirby Vacuum has a special attachment that will allow you to actually use the vacuum (not just the upholstery tool) to vacuum your mattress. I would also suggest cleaning the tops of your ceiling fans and ceiling corners. If you are allergic to skin cells you want to clean your mattress to avoid allergies to them.
6. Consider Central Air –
This can be expensive but especially if you suffer from allergies to outside pollens it can filter your air. If you use a swamp cooler (popular in the West) or open windows and fans it can bring those pollens right into your home
I hope these tips were helpful to you. If you have any more questions don’t hesitate to contact us.
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