Fall Dust Allergies

If dust and dust mites are the bane of your existence, then you should read this article. Early fall is usually the best production time for several different allergens. If you already know you’re allergic to dust mites, animal dander, or pollen, you might assume that dust is an ever-present allergen. For those of us with sensitivities to mold spores, pollen, and dust mites, from early August to late November, the dust in our homes can carry a greater chance of triggering our symptoms. This is because dust is basically a collection of allergens that has settled in corners, under furniture, and on window frames.

A recipe for the powder

The main ingredient of the powder is dead skin. The tiny shimmering specks of dust you see swirling in a beam of sunlight are actually your skin cells that have sloughed off. Your bed, couch, or couch is brimming with this type of dust, making these items the perfect environment for dust mites. Dust mite allergens are a major factor triggering attacks in people with allergic asthma (about 90% of allergic asthmatics are sensitive to dust mites).

Other bits of debris join the mix, including fibers, dirt and sand on shoes, pollen, mold spores, carbon flecks from ovens, sawdust, plant parts and insects, etc. Dust specks are a product of fiber dust: those tiny bits of lint from clothing, carpets, and furniture accumulate to form a larger dust ball.

Fall Dust Problems: Why Are Dust Allergies Worse in the Fall?

  • During the months of July and August, dust mite populations peak year-round. due to ample amounts of heat and humidity (derived from sweat and ambient humidity). So if you find that you wake up with dry eyes or a stuffy nose, you can assume that you have some sensitivity to dust mites.
  • Early August to early November is ragweed pollination season, that is why it is the main cause of autumn allergies. Ragweed relies on the wind to spread its pollen, which means that (unlike other plants that produce pretty or scented flowers to attract insects to pollinate them) this plant produces huge amounts of tiny pollen grains that are carried by a gust of wind. air. Because this pollination technique is completely unpredictable, the more pollen the plant produces, the better its chances of pollination.
  • As wet leaves accumulate, mold growth is prolific. Leaves are a perfect food source for mold, so it only takes a small amount of moisture and a few warm days for mold to sprout quickly and produce large numbers of spores.

If you have moderate to severe allergies to dust, mold, pollen, or dust mites, now may be the time of year when the dust in your home is made up of these seasonal allergens. If you’re looking for relief beyond basic cleaning, you want to protect your room from dust.

How to prepare the room:

  1. pack up all your belongings as if you were moving and empty the room.
  2. Empty your closet – clean out the contents and seal in plastic bags or Tupperware containers.
  3. keep clothes in plastic zipper bags and shoes in shoe boxes raised off the ground.
  4. Remove loose rugs.
  5. clean and scrub woodwork and floors to remove any dust present.
  6. Clean all wood, tile, or linoleum surfaces in the room with water, then wax or oil them.
  7. re-cement any raised linoleum to the floor so there are no hiding places for dust.
  8. if the room is a guest room, keep all windows and doors closed

Maintenance:

  1. (Remember, if you’re allergic to dust, you may want to wear a mask while cleaning.)
  2. deep clean the room once a week.
  3. Wipe floors, furniture, tops of doors and door frames, and window frames with a damp cloth or oiled dusting rag.
  4. vacuum carpets and upholstery regularly (preferably with a vacuum specially designed to filter out allergens)
  5. remember to wash your curtains, because they can accumulate a lot of dust. Soak them in a bucket of hot water (130 degrees Fahrenheit) to kill dust mites.
  6. open the windows and “ventilate” the room. Due to the airtight construction used to improve energy efficiency, there are 200% more allergens trapped inside than in older drafty homes. Although you might think that open windows bring in more allergens like pollen and dust, the amount that accumulates in the room over the period of a week or two is substantially higher. In the end, you have more allergens leaving the room than entering it.
  7. if you have wall-to-wall carpeting, you may want to remove these as they tend to collect dust
  8. bedding must be washed weekly
  9. Installing an air filter can drastically reduce the amount of dust in the air, and in turn, reduce the amount of dust that collects on your belongings.

You may also like...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *