An allergen-free bedroom for your child

By The Examiner

A bedroom should be a place to rest, a place to relax and ultimately, sleep. Yet, for children with allergies, their bedrooms might be a place that wreaks havoc on their symptoms. There are many things you, as a parent, can do to help your child get the rest he or she needs.

One of the main things you need to provide your child with allergy free furniture. If you take one day a week to go through their room and really clean up, you'll be doing your child a favor. Dust, moving furniture to get blind spots, and make sure you even get that ceiling fan wiped down too. Then sweep or vacuum the room out. While doing this, have your child in another area of the house so the allergens you're cleaning and getting rid of are not bothering him or her as they are standing by.

Once a week, also wash the linens in hot water, This hot water is important to kill the allergens. This simple routine in itself may do wonders for your child, in that the bed is where they spend the most time.

With the floors, dressers and bedding all washed and ready to go, take a good look around their room for opportunities to put cleanroom funiture. What else can be done around the room? You can vacuum their curtains. Provide them with an allergen-friendly bed and/or pillow protector. Perhaps move out of their room things that sit out and contain a lot of fabric, like big chairs and wall-hangings like quilts. These things can call carry dust mites.

And, speaking of dust mites, be mindful of all the stuffed animals. These toys can trigger all kinds of reactions because of the dust mites that like to breed there. Wash stuffed animals often or even put them in the freezer for 24 hours once a month. The freezing kills off dust mites, too. That will make you both sleep better.