A step-by-step guide to keep your house allergy free

1. Make sure that your house is well ventilated, including the under-floor area. But shut the windows during high pollen times and turn on the air conditioning to clean, cool and dry the air. High humidity encourages the growth of moulds and can attract cockroaches.

2. Limit outdoor excursions when pollen and mould counts are high. Peak pollen times usually fall between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm Avoid long periods outdoors on windy days, too, when dust, mould and pollen are blown about. Keep allergens out of your eyes by wearing wraparound sunglasses.

3. Holiday in low allergen areas. The seashore is a good choice. Although the breeze is damp, levels of allergy-causing pollen tend to be low.

4. Shower, wash your hair and change your clothing (including shoes) after being outside. It’s yet another way to exile outdoor allergens, which can easily collect on your skin, hair and clothing. The allergens are then transferred to your face, hands and pillowcase.

5. Get someone else to do the gardening. It can expose you to high levels of pollen and mould. Have trees and bushes pruned regularly to cut down on vegetation near doors and windows. Don’t use leaf blowers. They spurt mould into the air at full force. Plant only trees and shrubs that produce small amounts of pollen. A helpful booklet, The Low Allergen Garden, is available from The Asthma Foundation of New South Wales.

6. Keep indoor plants dry. Wet soil encourages mould growth. Top pots with small pebbles or stones to help avoid this.

7. Get your child a dog or cat. Having an animal about in childhood seems to steer an immature immune system away from overreactions to animal dander. Studies of European children show that those who live on farms in regular contact with animals are four times less likely to have hay fever or asthma than city-dwelling kids.

8. Encase the beds. Cover the mat - tress, box spring and pillows with allergen proof covers to keep dust mites in check.

9. Choose feathers. Research from the University of Manchester in Great Britain found that synthetic fibre and foam pillows contain more dust mites and pet dander than feather filled pillows. The densely woven covers designed to keep the feathers in also help to keep allergens out.

10. Dust less often. Leaving an occasional dust bunny under the bed could be a wise move. Doctors at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver say that a molecule called endotoxin, found in ordinary house dust, appears to protect children against allergy and asthma.

11. Roll up the rugs. Dust mites can’t live on bare wood. If you must have carpeting, vacuum often.

12. Bag stuffed animals. Then treat them to kill dust mites

Sighted www.readersdigest.com.au, 15 July 2010