| First: Bedrooms |
- Cover your pillows and mattresses with special zippered covers that keep dust mites away from you.
- Every week, wash your sheets, pillowcases, and blankets in hot water with detergent or dry them in an electric dryer on the hot setting. If possible, do not use a comforter. Instead, use a blanket that can be washed.
- Use washable, vinyl, or roll-type window covers.
- Remove clutter, stuffed animals and other soft toys, and fabric-covered furniture. If you cannot take the stuffed animals out of the bedroom, wash them every week.
- If possible, remove carpets. Instead, use area rugs that can be cleaned or washed.
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| Second: Rest of house |
- Try to reduce the amount of fabric-covered furniture you have, especially old sofas.
- If possible, replace carpets with (noncarpet) flooring. This includes carpets on concrete slabs or over poorly ventilated crawl spaces.
- Every week, vacuum the house with a vacuum that has a "HEPA filter." For cleaning floors, use a mop rather than a broom.
- Use washable, vinyl, or roll-type window covers.
- Make sure that the humidity in the home is less than 50%. Do not use a humidifier.
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| Third: Changing houses* |
- People with allergies and asthma do not usually need to move, except if they live in a basement or in a home that is very damp and wet.
- If you are allergic to dust mites or mold, you might have fewer symptoms if you move to:
- An apartment on or above the second floor.
- A home with wooden floors and bedrooms on the second floor.
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