Designing a living room for allergy sufferers

Allergy season is upon us, and there is no way to ensure allergens won’t enter your home. Even if you have the best air filters, the best humidifier, and take other measures to keep your house free of allergens, you and your family will still track them in and out the door. However, there are several ways that you can decrease allergy symptoms in the home. It’s all about choosing the right amount and the right pieces of furniture.

Take the minimalist approach

The slimmer profile of modern minimalist living room furniture creates fewer surfaces on which allergens might collect. The fewer surfaces in the room, the easier it will be to keep clean. You might also want to rethink that carpet or area rug – wood, tile, or linoleum floors are ideal for allergy patients because they are much easier to get truly clean.

You should also keep in mind that allergens that settle on furniture can easily be knocked back into the area, causing a flair in allergy symptoms. This is why you also need to have a high-quality air filter, and you might want to talk to your HVAC tech about improving indoor air quality with furnace filter upgrades.

Bring nature indoors

When you have allergies, bringing nature inside might seem like the worst thing you can do. However, there are a lot of houseplants that do not cause allergies, and in fact, they can improve your indoor air quality. NASA scientists have long studied the effect of certain plants on air quality. They have even seen decreases in radiation at Chornobyl in direct relation to plants emitting higher concentrates of oxygen.

Choose living room sets that are easy to clean and disinfect

You really need to be able to keep your home as clean as possible when you have someone in the household with allergies. Keeping everything clean and disinfected is the best way to make sure that no one gets sick. Leather and vinyl living rooms sets are best because they don’t have a fibrous material for allergens to get trapped in. On the other hand, cotton is naturally hypoallergenic and should be utilized for décor and textiles.

Avoid unnecessary furniture and décor

It’s great to have décor and furnishings that give you the ability to express yourself, but keep in mind that the more things you have in the room, the more things that will need to be dusted and cared for overtime to make sure that everything remains safe. Dust accumulates even on picture frames, mirrors, and other small décor items that many people fail to clean on a regular basis.

Eliminate coffee tables and side tables except where necessary. Whatever furniture and décor you do have should be dusted regularly. Just remember that you need to dust furniture with an electrostatic duster, otherwise the allergens will just be kicked back up into the air you breathe.

Also read: A Look at the Future of Designer Outdoor Furniture

Maintain a healthier living room for years to come

You need to think about more than just your furniture when you are worried about making sure your home is allergen-free. Humidifiers are important to pull moisture out of the air, which can also improve indoor air quality. Stand-alone air filters, or those that are part of your HVAC unit, are also important. Even though some plants can clean the air to a certain extent, you shouldn’t rely on that method alone.

Each time you clean your home, use the Febreeze allergen reducer on all fabrics, upholstery, and textiles. This will further decrease allergens by as much as 75% and for just a very small purchase price and a few short minutes.