Household waking with stuffy noses. Help Please!

[floatyflo]

Hi all, ds3, dp and I are waking every morning with stuffy noses. I thought it was just me and the cause was pregnancy, but seeing as it is all of us I can only put it down to dust/ dust mites. I hoover the bedrooms regulary and wash bedding once a week, on top of usual dust busting.

I think the problem must be the unwashable bedding such as the matresses. What can I do to these? Do you hoover them? Will these rid them of any gross mites? Do I need to replace them?

Also can you wash pillows in a domestic washing machine? Tips?

Really hope someone can help as I feel so dirty and yuk despite being a generally clean and tidy household!!

It's not dust, it's dry air. Have you got slightly sore throats first thing in the morning too? Drier air is very common this time of year with a sharp drop in temperatures and increase in central heating, and it irritates the lining of your airways so you wake up feeling very congested. Your hands are probably feeling dry too, right?

You can buy cheap humidifiers which can help with this. I have a Vicks one which I can put some olbas oil in, that helps when DS has a cold too.

I did consider dry air but I am not convinced. If anything I think our place is humid. How can I tell? Any other signs? No sore throats, and my hands would be dry all the time if I didn't moisturise them.

If it helps our bedroom in particular gets very very cold and drafty.

Actually now when I think back it does tend to be worse when its colder. Could this be a sign of it being dry air??

Yes. Another sign of dry air you may or may not notice is static electricity. There's usually more of it about when the air is drier but it doesn't mean anything if you haven't noticed it lately (I haven't noticed it in my home but I KNOW the air is very dry in here right now).

The reason I thought is anything its is too humid is because we get bad mould and condensation on our window?

I have this and the condensation. Bought a humidity monitor and it said its fine. But my eyes are dry and itchy too. It's much worse when the heatings on, I'm alright without it, but have a baby to keep warm. What to do?

It is a pain in the arse when no local shops or home stores sell humidity monitors!
I don't want to fork out for some humidifiers if that's not the problem, same as I don't want to fork out for a steam cleaner to blast those mites out of the mattress, if that is not the cause of the problem either!

What to do indeed!

Ventilation.

Care to extend on that?

Are your windows open at night? Anywhere in your house. It would stop the air getting so dry.

We had this too....all of us waking up like we had colds. My mum suggested it was to do with the heating - and she was right.

I now only put the radiators on in the DC's bedrooms after we get up, and turn them off early evening. (Although I don't put them on in our bedroom at all) It's been much better since. They really do dry the air.

Yes and the windows open just a bit to allow the air to circulate..

Try Sterimar nasal spray, it only contains salt water but helps me loads with what you describe. Safe for babies too. We all had the same problem. Dh even had nose bleeds most nights but it has settled now.

If you have condensation and mould it could be a nasal allergy to that. Have you tried antihistamine? Speak to your Dr of you

...If you pregnant

Oh, and yes to hoovering mattresses and washing pillows and duvets (I do mine in domestic washer). If your pillow not washable then freeze it for 12h. It kills the dust mites- honest!

If you want a cheap way to see if it's humidity-related you could make a homemade humidifier by putting a damp sponge in a closed soap dish (put holes in the top of the soap dish). Not explained very well but you'll find it online. I did this in my very dry office and it seemed to work.

You may need a few tho!

I my cold dry house I put mugs half full of water on the rads. Seemed to help.

Open the windows! Not masses but you need some airflow which will help with the condensation and mould too. Close them during the day, open them at night. No more condensation, no more stuffed up eyes and noses in the mornings.

I hear what people are saying but our flat is absolutely freezing and there is no way I could have bedroom windows open at night. The radiator in our bedroom is knackered and some nights the room temp reaches as low as 10. I could most def begin to open them more during the day once dp has woken up (works nights). Ds bedroom window is opened regulary to air through but he is still waking up with stuffy nose.

Anyway looked at some humidifiers, and boy are they expensive. How else could i add some humidity to the rooms without having to shell out. Bowls of streaming water around the room? Hanging the clothes rail in our bedroom? A steam cleaner whacked around the room?

Do you rent?

yes we do, private landlord.

In which case he has to fix your radiators.

Yes, definitely speak to ll. The damp and mould are affecting you, it is up to the ll to fix it (also in their interests to avoid damage to the property). In the mean time ventilate, avoid drying washing inside and wipe away as much condensation as you can. A small plug in heater in your bedroom might help in the interim. Don't add to the moisture inside your home by following the humidifying tips above!