Make Your Bedroom a Safe Haven from Indoor Allergies

Allergies create a banal sort of misery. You're plagued with a stuffed-up nose, watery and itchy eyes, and sinus pressure and pain. While you're not about to keel over, having trouble breathing is an ever-present distraction. Make your bedroom an allergen-free zone with these six easy steps, and your quality of life will improve dramatically.

The bedroom: your first line of defense

Where do you spend most of the time in your house? Cooking in the kitchen? Relaxing in the family room?

Think again.

We spend one-third of our lives in the bedroom. That's eight hours a day, in bed, sleeping. Reducing allergens in this one room will have a tremendous impact on your quality of life. You'll sleep better and wake up more refreshed. You'll be less congested. Your body will get a more rejuvenating rest when you aren't struggling to breathe in the process.

Bedroom allergen culprits and solutions

The top indoor allergen is dust. Usually this is actually an allergy to dust mites, especially their waste and their deteriorating carcasses. Ick. Want to know what else is in dust? Are you sure? All right, pet dander is in dust. That wasn't so bad, was it? Oh, don't forget-if you live in an urban area or warm parts of the country, dead cockroaches and their waste are also being incorporated into that innocuous dust, and you are likely allergic to those too. Eww.

1. Dust regularly.
Use a damp cloth, not a feather duster. You want to catch and remove the dust, not swish it around.

2. Reduce or eliminate carpeting and rugs in the bedroom.
Bare floor is best, both because it's harder for allergens to cling to and accumulate, and also because it's easy to clean. If you have or can get bare floors in your bedroom, simply mop the floor once a week. Avoid dry methods of cleaning, such as sweeping, as this will stir up dust. An electric broom, or even a dustbuster in the corners will help between wet-downs.

Can't ditch the carpeting? Don't worry. You'll have a harder time keeping the allergens down, but you can help by having the carpet shampooed. If you're sensitive to perfumes, do it early in the day. Regular vacuuming will also help keep the dust down.