Aside from pollen, trees and grasses outdoors, you also come in contact with dust and dander indoors. All of these can cause signature allergy symptoms — runny nose, sinus pressure, watery and itchy eyes, earache, hives and breathing difficulties. Cleaning a room to be allergen-free can help alleviate some of your allergy woes. Armed with a vacuum and steam cleaner, a once-a-month deep cleaning can help control your indoor symptoms.
Step 1
Vacuum any carpeting in the room to remove dust and dander using a vacuum with a HEPA filter. HEPA stands for high efficiency particulate air filter, according to Engineers Edge. HEPA filters are capable of collecting up to 99.97 percent of particle matter. Steam clean the carpet after vacuuming to kill bacteria and dust mites. Wait for the carpet to dry and finish with a final vacuuming.
Step 2
Clean hardwood, stone or linoleum floors with an electrostatic floor mop to remove dust and dander. Follow-up with a steam cleaning to kill bacteria and dust mites. If your floor is especially dirty, use the floor tool of your HEPA vacuum instead of the electrostatic floor mop.
Step 3
Vacuum all of the upholstered fabric in the room, including draperies. Use the HEPA filter vacuum’s attachment tool for this job, making sure that you vacuum every inch of the upholstery fabric to remove all dust, dander and dust mites. Use the wand from your steam cleaner to steam away any remaining allergens.
Step 4
Wipe down all hard surfaces using a non-toxic cleaner and paper towels. This includes windows, doors, cabinets, countertops, walls, wood or lacquer furniture and appliances. If you prefer not to use a commercial cleaner, use the wand of your steam cleaner to do the job.
Step 5
Strip bedding and wash your linens in hot water every week. Vacuum the mattress with your HEPA vacuum’s attachment tool. Steam clean the mattress with your steam-cleaning wand to kill bacteria and dust mites living on the mattress. Remake the bed once the linens are clean.
