If you suffer from allergies or asthma, you know how important it is to keep your house clean so you're not constantly bombarded by dust mites, pet dander, mold and other indoor pollutants. One of the most effective ways to get rid of these irritants is to vacuum your floors, but new research from the University of Queensland and Laval University in Canada reveals that these devices could be doing more harm than good.
According to the U.K.'s Daily Mail, the study found that "running a vacuum over dusty carpets and furniture picks up […] potentially deadly bugs and mold particles, spraying them into the air like an 'aerosol.'" As you can imagine, this can be problematic for people with allergies or asthma.
So, what are a few ways to ensure that you can vacuum safely without breathing in harmful chemicals and expelling them into the air around you? Here are a few ideas:
• Install an allergen air purifier to limit the amount of irritants that are in your home
• Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter, which is effective at catching 99.97 percent of all particles
• Wear a respirator mask when you clean the house so that there's a barrier between you and the pollutants you encounter.
Fortunately, you can find all of these products — as well as other allergy prevention items such as hypoallergenic bedding — on the Allergy Be Gone website. Take a look around to find out more about how each of these solutions can help reduce your symptoms and improve your quality of life.
