Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Cleaning to alleviate allergies-help me please!

17 replies

Brightredpencil · 02/12/2016 21:58

I'm not brilliant at keeping up to date with dusting hoovering etc but it gets done at least every ten days. However my DS has develops some allergies so I need to tackle this in a much more intensive way. Please share any advice at all you have or good products to use etc. I'm a single parent to three young children with no real help as such.
I plan to wash on a high temp all his bedding and then just get rid of as much stuff as possible so I can clean more easily. But what else can I do? I'm shattered so shortcuts appreciated I know in my heart there are none

OP posts:
homeaway · 03/12/2016 10:16

I woukd invest in a steam cleaner as that kills the dust mites. You can steam clean the carpets which will help..

ijustwannadance · 03/12/2016 10:18

What is you ds actually allergic to?

ijustwannadance · 03/12/2016 10:19

*your

VivienneWestwoodsKnickers · 03/12/2016 10:19

How old are the kids? Can they be given simple tasks like wiping down surfaces or hoovering?

kiki22 · 03/12/2016 10:25

A steam cleaner and a stream mop a really good hoover with good attachments. Flash with bleech for the bathroom flash with fairy for the kitchen then detol all in one spray for over it. Dust every day and hoover every day move the furniture once a week and dust/hoover under it. Wash ur cloths after each use no point cleaning with dirty cloths. Points charts for the kids to tidy up messy houses are harder to clean and little kids love to help. Vanish upholstery cleaner on your sofa and beds monthly keeps the dust out and throws are dust collectors so are ornaments.

Good luck its so much easier to keep your house clean doing a little every day than a huge session every so often

bubblymix · 03/12/2016 12:52

What sort of allergies does your son have? My son has allergies to certain cleaning products and i purchased a steam cleaner which has helped me greatly.

Brightredpencil · 03/12/2016 19:59

We think it's dust mite allergy. Steam cleaner a good idea but does it create mold spores at all? I'm wondering if carpets get a bit damp with the steam that could create mold?
I'm decluttering as much as possible and yes the children can be given tasks to do.

OP posts:
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 03/12/2016 20:01

You need to de clutter and damp dust. Fluffy toys in a bag in the freezer once a month or washed. We replaced carpet with hard floor as well.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 03/12/2016 20:06

And fold the duvet back every morning so the bed airs.

Lanaorana1 · 03/12/2016 20:10

Wash bedlinen at 60. No effort, works a treat to kill dust mites.

Open windows daily.

littleoctonauts · 04/12/2016 21:24

Dd has dust mite allergy. It's hard. Big things that made a big difference to us are-

Hard floors (single biggest game changer. Hard to do immediately but think about if you can in long term?)
Change bed sheets as often as you can manage (we did twice a week, now do daily as she's a bed wetter, but do as often as is mmanageable)
Iron bedsheets if you can
Freeze cuddly toys
Declutter to.make surfaces easier to dust
In the meantime put clutter in boxes/crates so at least you have a clear single surface to clean
You must damp dust, never dry dust
Put clothes away once washed soon as possible, if out they collect dust

Think about tackling the sleeping environment first as they spend most hours in the day there.

Wish you well.It's a tough journey but if he really has a dust mite allergy you'll see the differences and that will make your efforts worthwhileFlowers

firewithfire · 04/12/2016 21:41

Handheld vacuum makes it easier to vacuum daily, takes ten minutes.

Brightredpencil · 05/12/2016 21:46

Thanks everyone - I have seen improvements already. Just to be clear - damp dusting is just dusting with a slightly damp cloth isn't it?!?!
Also in terms of hard floors - currently we have awful very old carpet. What is meant by hard floor? Is this laminate? We are looking to replace - what's best to go for?

OP posts:
littleoctonauts · 06/12/2016 00:55

Yes just a damp cloth is fine. Dry dusting is just moving the dust around, a damp cloth will remove it. I also have lots of cloths and change one for each room to pick up most amount of dust.

Hard floor is usually laminate, of course tiling and wood are hard too but are pricy/not appropriate.

In dd's room there used to be a thick old pile carpet the difference in her skin after we replaced it was unbelievable

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 06/12/2016 07:14

Hard floor= not carpet. If you change you'll be horrified now much dust corrects in the corners of a room that the carpet used to disguise!

jellyshoeswithdiamonds · 07/12/2016 23:37

Hard floors

No curtains (I have blackout blinds)

Change bedding, I prefer outside drying to tumbling but at this time of year tumble and shake out well before remaking.

Hoover mattress (tool for edges and button indents, main hoover head for rest of mattress). Once a few hoovers have been done this can be done less frequently.

Mattress protectors (more than one if you have spares) wash in with the bedding wash.

Pillow protectors on new anti allegy pillows, wash these too.

Open windows daily (I do mornings while everyone else is out).

Leave beds open all the time to air, don't neatly fold the duvet either flop it over the foot plate of the bed.

I've bought duvet protectors for my duvet which zips up.

Everything gets washed in non-bio washing powder.

I keep on top of my dusting these days, heavy dust gets hoovered up, light dusting every other day I use a feather duster and shake off out of windows (my neighbours must think I'm bonkers), find the feather dusting quick and effective.

I suffer reactions to pollen and dust (amongst other triggers) have flare ups but I'm much better than I used to be.

rabbit123 · 11/12/2016 05:56

DS is very allergic to dust, so much so that we invested in an air purifier for his bedroom.

Get a vacuum with a bag and a high filtration level. Bagless vacs leak fine dust like you wouldn't believe.

Use the vacuum attachments to dust rather than a cloth or feather duster, that way you're actually sucking the dust up rather than sending it flying back into the air.

I never found changing washing detergent made any difference, I would suggest using the extra rinse feature to get out more detergent
& ditch heavily perfumed softener.

Vacuum the mattresses!! Sounds crazy but it's where dust mites love the most. You'd be amazed what the vac will pull out of the beds.
We vacuum and flip the mattresses every time we change the sheets.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page