how do you clean house for a baby with allergies?

[jtsmom]

The allergist said to keep her away from common allergens and hopefully she won't develop asthma. Any advice to keeping our house clean would be helpful. TIA

[khrisday]

My daughter has asthma, I use those dusting mitts (can't remember who makes them, but they really do pick up a TON of dust)- I dust with those twice a week and vacuum afterwards. Also running an air purifier should help control allergens. Controling dust and mold, and dust mites are the three big ones. Leather furniture (fake leathers too) or slipcovers help with mites, as well as allergen control bedding (mattress pads and pillow protectors).

[mamarosa]

Well if I could afford it I'd buy one of those great new vacuums that are super filtered for allergens. A Meile I think is supposed to be one of the best. Since your dh is 'king works a lot', maybe you could afford one. Unfortunately my dh is 'King works just enough'.
Pollyester statics up the dust, so it is good for dusting - less 'fly away'.
And keep the chemicals to a minimum, as those can agrivate too. Vinegar is about the harshest thing in our house, and I find it works fine. I sometimes add cedar or lavender essential oils to wash water or rags if I want that 'clean' smell.
Make sure to vacuum under couches, beds and behind shelves regularly.

Good luck.

Rose.

[momto l&a]

"The allergist said to keep her away from common allergens and hopefully she won't develop asthma. "

I read a study that just came out ( cant remeber what mag. I read it in) and it found that children who live on farms or houses that werent cleaned as often where less likely to develop asthma because they had been around so many danders ect.

Is your DD already having problems with allergies? Is that why you are seeing a allergist?

Dh is slightly bothered by danders but we got a cheep hepa filter at Wal-Mart and we turn it on at night in our room, seems to have really helped him. we have 2 dogs and 3 cats so lots of dander here.

We have a Rainbow vac that also pics up all junk without spreading it around, I even dust with it. Pricey though but worth it IMO.

[Quirky]

We got a HEPA vac by Kenmore at Sears. Waaayyy cheaper than a Miele, and works great. No need to spend the money on a Miele, IMHO. There are also HEPA filter type vacuum bags you can get for your existing vacuum- I would look for those.

I love having a HEPA air filter in our bedroom; also provides great white noise to help us all sleep!

There was also a recent study showing that families with dogs and cats had kids with fewer allergies, so I'm not too uptight about keeping the cat dander cleaned up.....

I am also switching over to using all eco-friendly/homemade cleaning products, with recipes from Clean Home, Clean Planet and the MDC boards. I figure DS is more at risk from those toxic chemicals than anything else in our house.

[ladylee]

Ditto the HEPA vacuum and air-purifier (Bionaire.) Have also read wood floors and area rugs are much better than wall-to-wall--less opportunity for mildew, etc.

[mamabuttercup]

Do you have carpet? If you are worriered about allerigies tear it out!!! Find out what is under it, but get rid of it. My ds (3 1/2) had hives bad for 1 1/2yrs . Started when we bought our house (with wall to wall carpeting) We just finished putting in wood floors. We did his room in May and bought him a new big boy bed, and he has not had any hives since then. Let me tell you solving the mystery behind the awful hives was such a blessing. He is now starting to reintroduce all the foods we thought were causing the hives. So far only dairy has given eczma. But the hives are gone.
Carpetting holds in so much dirt, dandr, environmental toxins, and not to metion its treated with weird harsh chemicals. Wood floors are so much easier to clean!
Peace mama bc

[jtsmom]

First of all, Mamarosa, :LOL I said *worksalot*, not *makes alot*.

She has bad eczema, and lots of food allergies, that's why I'm looking into this, I know it's related to asthma. Don't quite get all of it, though.

I am a really bad housekeeper. Actually, I'm lucky if I can keep it picked up, but vacuum behind furniture, that's just craziness!!!! Actually, our cat went to Grandma's house, and I totally tore apart both kids rooms. Took apart the beds(dustruffles, moved beds out and vaccuumed everything) washed everything and behind the furniture. I also dusted with a damp cloth. I'm also trying to use more natural cleansers. (I admit, though, that's the first time I've dusted since the baby was born, she's 13 mo.)

We bought the $$$ filters for the furnace, forced hot air which I hear is the worst for kicking up dust. We don't have a hepa vacuum but I want to get one, and I worry that when I do sweep and vacuum, I'm stirring it up even worse, because when the sun is shining through the window, I can see all sorts of dust flying around and it gives me the heeby jeebies.

We only have 2 carpeted rooms, and it's almost brand new, so I'm not worried really about the carpet. I'm going to look into an air purifier, since some of you seem to like it, and dd sleeps well with a fan on, so I assume she'll like the white noise of a purifier. Thanks for the ideas!

[Quirky]

I know it will seem like a huge waste, but you may want to seriously consider getting rid of the carpet. 1) New carpet is treated with all sorts of horrible chemicals, ie formaldehyde, and the chemicals off-gas. 2) The carpet will be a great breeding place for dust mites, etc. over time, and will be a reservoir for cat dander.

Just a suggestion.....good luck with everything.