This is a partnered post with Benjamin Moore, but all opinions are my own.
Hay, Cows, Goats, Dust Mites. Those are only a few of the things that cause allergies in our family. Over the years I have gotten pretty savvy on ways to reduce allergens in our home, including not allowing Bryan to bring a bag of hay home for the rabbits in the trunk of my car. We’ve had to take some extreme measures, like removing all the carpet and installing hardwood to help my daughter with asthma, but there are simple low costs steps that work too! Most of us know the common tips, like vacuuming at least a couple of times a week, but here are a few surprising ones.
1. Take Off Your Shoes Before You Enter the House. Leaving shoes outside will reduce the amount of pollen you bring inside and deposit on the floors. Place a basket just inside the doorway and drop shoes there. As an added bonus, you’ll always be able to find your shoes. No more hunting around the house!
2. Clean around entryways into the house. I never realized how much dust was tracked into my home until I began cleaning the steps from the garage into my house. Wow! And don’t get me started on how much mud the kids track in from the back porch.
3. Clean Behind Furniture. I never realized how much dust could accumulate behind furniture until I began waking up with a stuffy nose. I knew I cleaned the front of your antique bed each week, but when I pulled the bed out from the wall I found dust bunny central. A good cleaning of the furniture helped get rid of the stuffy noses.
4. Paint walls with Allergy Friendly Paint. One problem my family has had whenever we paint is headaches from the fumes, along with itchy, watery, eyes. I’ve learned a low odor paint like Benjamin Moore Natura. Not only does the flat finish come in lots of colors and provide a durable washable surface, it has been certified asthma & allergy friendly™ by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. I have already picked out a color to use to paint the new nursery.
5. Store out of season items in closed bins. Leaving clothes or other items lying around attracts dust. By using covered bins you avoid having to wash them when you take them out of storage and avoid pesky allergens. It’s a win-win situation.
What tips do you have for avoiding allergies in your home?
Allergies are definitely so fun. These are some great ideas for reducing allergens in the home.
I didnt know there was allergy friendly paint out there! That is a really good idea I never would of thought of!
We just purchased a new home and are about to paint it. I had no idea about allergen free paint! I will be looking into this.
My allergies are killing me this year. This post makes a lot of great suggestions on how to reduce allergens in your home.
These are some good tips. We have such high winds we are always dusting.
I am renovating my home right now and this Allergy Friendly Paint sounds perfect! I never heard about it until now — I’ll have to check it out!
I had no idea there was allergy friendly paints. I have really bad allergies, I might have to check this out the next time I have to paint.
These are good tips. I do need to clean around my entry ways more often.
I definitely need to do some of these things. My son and I have allergies and they get particularly worse when the seasons change.
I’ll have to try some of these ways out. My allergies get so bad around this time of year.
Thank you for letting me know about Natura paints. This is the best option to save me and my family money that we usually spend for anti-histamines whenever there is a paint job at home.
I like those tips. I never thought of that for allergies.
These are awesome tips. We always take our shoes off before entering the house.
Awesome advice. I will be looking at that paint. Never knew abut it.
Some great suggestions. After we took out the carpet from our main level and changed to wood and tile… it is amazing the dust and dirt we find, and to think what carpet has in it!
As a lifelong ashtmatic I know that allergy and asthma friendly paint is a definite MUST! Great tips, thanks for sharing these!
These are great tips! I am really bad about cleaning behind my furniture. I really need to do that on a schedule to further reduce allergens in our home!
Allergy friendly paint?! I never knew this existed. Gotta keep that in mind for my next home 😛
I didn’t know there were natural options for paint. That’s wonderful! We don’t have allergies, but I still think that’s the choice I’d go with.
September through March is tough on my oldest. I will be mindful of these tips to reduce her allergy reactions.
I am always on the kids to take their shoes off when they come into the house. These are great tips. I will have to try a few.
These are great tips. I’m going to check these out.
The allergen free paint is new to me. Our house is across from open space and gets so dusty/dirty especially when it’s windy. These are all great reminders!
I am guilty of not cleaning behind the furniture often enough. But we do take our shoes off when we come in the house!
We are lucky not to have any allergy sufferers at home. In awe that there is allergen free paint!
Great tips! We always take our shoes off when we get inside and we always store out of season items in bins and out of sight. These are so important!
I like your ideas. We have a bad habit of keeping shoes on for too long since we have mostly wood floors. We’re probably spreading allergens to every corner of the house.
I need to do a better job about keeping out the allergens. I wish I did more to prevent them.
I hadn’t realized there was a paint like that! I had terrible allergies as a kid. I vacummed my room almost every day to try to help them.
These are some great ideas, I am all for reducing allergens as we have some allergies in this home. x
I had no idea they made allergen free paint! That would be perfect for our house.
Thanks so much for sharing this. We live in Georgia, and as you know, the south is allergen central.
I’m starting to realize that. Everyone around here is sneezing so I guess it’s the season.
We change our air filters every season. Taking shoes off when we get into the house is important. Recently we started taking them off not in the entry way, but in the garage before we even get into the house.
We change out air filters according to a schedule, I vacuum, dust, and sweep often and I wash our sheets weekly. This has definitely helped our family.
We have forced hot air heat, so it’s awfully dusty in our house. I think I should change the filters in the vents more often!
We always take our shoes off as soon as we walk in the house. Great tips, Pam!