Spring Cleaning

Did you know that approximately 30% of people are allergic to the common household dust mite which is present throughout our homes and within bedding.  By regularly spring cleaning your bedroom you can alleviate exposure to this common cause of allergies and asthma ensuring a healthier night's sleep for you and your family

• Make sure you have all your cleaning supplies at hand.
• Have three boxes at hand - one for rubbish, one for things that don’t belong in the bedroom and one for anything, such as old clothes that you might like to donate to charity.

• Remove all items from dressers, dust down dressers and return items, dusting as you go. Go from one side of the room to the  other, top to bottom.
• De-clutter - remove any unused items. Are they rubbish, do they belong in another room or can they go to charity?

• Clean off any marks. 
• If you have young artists in the household and are using a cleaning block or another cleaning chemical always test in an inconspicuous area to ensure it does not fade or damage the paint or wallpaper. 

• Clean your windows, inside and out. You might want to try using a 50:50 water/vinegar mixture with a microfibre cloth. Don’t forget the window frames and tracks. If needed a toothbrush is great for getting into the corners.
• Take down and wash curtains.
• Dust and wipe down blinds with warm water.

• Thoroughly vacuum the carpet or floor boards. 
• If you can, move furniture to get underneath.
• Mop floor boards. Consider a professional clean for the carpet.
• Wipe down baseboards.

• Remove and clean all bedding, including blankets, mattresses and pillow protectors. Washing in hot water (above 55°C will kill any dust mites).
• Cover your mattress and pillows with Protect-A-Bed® dust mite allergy resistant mattress and pillow protectors.  (You will see the National Asthma Council of Australia's Sensitive Choice Program, Blue Butterfly logo proudly displayed on Protect-A-Bed®  packaging.)
• Don’t forget to wash or have your pillows dry-cleaned.
• Fold and put into storage any winter bedding no longer needed.
• Wipe down the bed frame.
• Flip and rotate your mattress

• Start by taking everything out.
• We all have things in our wardrobe and drawers that we no longer wear. 
• When deciding what to put back ask yourself the following questions. Have I worn it in the last 12 months? Will I wear it again? Does it still fit? Do I like the way it looks? Is it damaged?
• The things you don't need, if not damaged, consider selling online or donating to charity.

Sit back, relax and enjoy the warmer days but remember if your allergies are triggered by pollen stay indoors on dry windy days and especially after storms as these are peak periods for airborne allergens.   

And for further tips and advice on how to manage allergies this spring a great resource is the National Asthma Council of Australia's Sensitive Choice Program.  www.sensitivechoice.com  #sensitivechoice #protectabedau