Dust is one of the major triggers of allergy symptoms. Every house has dust hiding in and on such things as upholstered furniture, mattresses, box springs, pillows, wool rugs, rug pads, stuffed animals, blankets, unfiltered furnace air and feathers. This is the cause of most allergies and is created by house dust mites.
Fortunately, there are actions you can take to control dust. Start by making your whole house, and especially your child's bedroom, as dust-free as possible. To get started, empty his or her bedroom completely and clean it thoroughly. If you can, remove wall-to-wall carpeting and replace it with wooden or linoleum flooring. Try covering the furnace or air-conditioner outlets with glass-fiber or cheesecloth filters, and clean wall or floor heating units weekly. Dust mites congregate where moisture is retained and food for them (human skin scales) is plentiful. They are especially numerous in bedding, upholstered furniture, and rugs. Padded furnishings such as mattresses, box springs, and pillows should be encased in allergen-proof, zip-up covers, which are available through catalogs and specialized retailers. Wash linens weekly and other bedding, such as blankets, every 1 to 2 weeks in hot water. (The minimum temperature to kill mites is 130 degrees. If you set your water heater higher than 120 degrees, the recommended temperature to avoid accidental scald burns, take care if young children are present in the home.)
Keep only one bed in the room and it's best to use cotton or synthetic blankets, not quilts or comforters. Also, rely on rubber or dacron pillows (not those filled with feathers because they collect more dust).
Once you've completed these initial measures, you should clean the bedroom thoroughly at least once a week, airing it out on that day, then leaving the doors and windows closed for the rest of the week. When you dust, use a damp or oiled cloth to avoid spreading dust around the room.
Another common culprit of allergy symptoms is mold. Mold (small pieces of plants that contain spores or seeds) grows outdoors in cool, damp, dark places, such as in soil, grass and dead leaves. Indoors, it's commonly found in damp cellars, closets, attics, old mattresses, and pillows and blankets that haven't been aired out in a long time. It also grows in wicker baskets used as planters, on dried flowers and on artificial Christmas trees.
Mold also can be found in bathrooms and damp basements. To limit opportunities for mold to grow, don't use carpeting and wallpaper in these rooms. Also, make sure your bathrooms have exhaust fans that work. Throughout the house, replace any carpet that's been saturated by a big water spill or flood. Avoid using vaporizers, humidifiers and swamp coolers that introduce moisture back into the environment. And in the basement, a dehumidifier can be helpful.
You can destroy mold with several types of disinfectants, but be careful to store them in a safe place, away from curious toddlers. Sometimes a room air purifier will help remove mold spores and house dust. For some children, air conditioning helps. But for others, it makes the allergy worse.
Outside your home, you can take steps to reduce mold by pruning and trimming back large shrubs so that light comes into your house. Using nonorganic material for mulching and other landscaping tasks, and removing dead leaves and grass clippings as soon as possible also can make it more difficult for mold to grow.
If your child is allergic to outdoor allergens, it can be helpful to use air conditioners when possible. Showering or bathing at the end of the day to remove allergens from body surfaces and hair can also be helpful. For patients with grass pollen allergy, remaining indoors when grass is mowed and avoiding playing in fields of tall grass may be helpful. Children with allergies to molds should avoid playing in piles of dead leaves in the fall.