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Do not smoke in your home or car.
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Vacuum floors, carpet and fabric-covered furniture weekly. Use a HEPA filter vacuum or HEPA filter bags. Clean the filter after each use. Professionally clean all carpet as needed.
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Put dust-proof covers on the mattress and pillows. Clean all covers weekly.
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Remove pets with fur. Consider finding a new home for your pets or keep the pet outdoors. If you can not remove the pet, do the following actions:
- Keep pets off furniture and out of bedrooms, keep bedroom doors closed.
- Place dense vent filters over air vents to trap floating dander.
- Bathe animals with fur weekly.
- Pets usually kept in cages, like gerbils or birds, should remain in cages as much as possible.
- Clean cages often. Locate caged pets away from air intakes and returns.
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Check for mold and water leaks. Check ceilings, walls, floors, under sinks, the basement and attic for water damage or water leaks. Fix leaks and replace damaged materials. Use exhaust fans when bathing, cooking or washing dishes.
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Regularly replace furnace filters. Consider replacing with a HEPA filter to capture more dust and allergens.
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Check for pests. Seal any cracks or opening around windows, doors, foundation and inside cabinets to keep pests out. Keep counters, sinks, tables and floors clean. Take trash out often and use trash can lids. Check for good screens on windows. Use sticky monitor boxes, traps or baits instead of pesticide sprays.
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Dust hard-surfaces weekly with a damp, soapy cloth.
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Check all gas appliances, space heaters and fireplaces. Never use the stove to heat your house. Use the exhaust fan when cooking. Avoid using un-vented kerosene or gas space heaters. When using the heater crack a window or use an exhaust fan.
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Avoid physical activity on days air quality is poor. Check the local weather report for high ozone, mold and pollen levels. Use air conditioning to filter air brought into your home when possible.
