If your family starts experiencing allergy symptoms, start doing some in-house research. Do they occur during a certain time of year? Summer can be a particularly sensitive time for allergy sufferers with the arrival of dust mites, pollen and leaf mold. Pumping up your cleaning routine can help rid these allergens from your home. Sometimes opening the windows to let fresh air in can actually trigger reactions from people who are sensitive to the pollen and allergens in outside air. Keep an eye on what environment triggers their reactions, then do your best to avoid it.

Similarly, your guests may not be very expressive with their allergies. If you notice your guests are uncomfortable, ask a few questions to see how you can help make them feel less itchy and sneezy while at your house. For first-time guests, ask if they have any indoor or outdoor allergies to animals, perfumes or dust. A little planning can help prevent an uncomfortable visitor.

Even though you might not believe that someone could be allergic to your short-haired, four-legged best friend, having your pet hang around your dinner party might make your guests more uncomfortable than you think. Besides being fearful of animals, your guests might also suffer from allergies to pet dander. Before your company arrives, let them know you have a pet. Together, you can devise a plan to help make the situation as comfortable as possible. You might have to put your pets in another room or ship them to a friend’s or family member’s house for a sleepover party. Or, if the weather is warm, host your party outside and leave the pets safe and sound in the house. Either way, give your house a good dusting before your company comes to get rid of as much pet hair and dander as possible.

Dust nd the allergens trapped in dust can be allergy triggers. Dry dusting tends to just move dust around from surfaces to the floor without ever really getting rid of it. Pick up the dust instead of just kicking it around with great Pledge® products such as Pledge® Multi-Surface Rainshower™ Aerosol, Pledge® Multi-Surface Lavender Aerosol or Pledge® Furniture Polish Aerosol Dust & Allergen Outdoor Fresh® that help to remove more dust and allergens contained in dust than dry dusting alone.

The Pledge® Multi-Surface Duster has a 360-degree duster that makes it easy to dust blinds, knickknacks and tight spaces. The grabbing and trapping fibres of the duster pick up dust and allergens found in dust from dust mites and pet dander.

Although surfaces tend to show dirt the most, the floor could be the biggest culprit of dust-defying acts. Hardwood floors, area rugs and wall-to-wall carpeting are the lowest point of the room and the surfaces where the room’s dust settles. Once you’ve dusted and wiped down the room from the top down, run a vacuum over the floors to help remove indoor and outdoor allergens that could have been tracked inside.

If your carpets are thick and dense, it doesn’t hurt to vacuum a second time as they can retain more allergens than hardwood floors or thinner and shorter pile carpets. Even upholstered furniture, cushions and drapes should be cleaned to remove any dust and allergens that may be trapped.

Remember, even your vacuum can hold on to dust and allergens and actually trail them through your house. Regularly clean your vacuum attachments and, if applicable, empty your vacuum bag. Using your vacuum’s attachments will help you get into corners, around appliances and into crevices where dust and pet hair can collect.

If your family or your overnight guests are sleeping with pillows and blankets that contain dust mites, they might wake up grumpier than ever! Consider investing in hypoallergenic pillows or allergen-impermeable pillows and mattress covers. Or, help kill any dust mites that could trigger an allergic reaction by washing sheets and blankets in hot water (around 58°C [135°F])*. Use a washable mattress cover to keep your mattress free of allergens and dander for longer. Washing your family’s sheets and bedding regularly will help ward off a buildup of dust and allergens.

Not only can the dirty surfaces in your home affect your health, so can the air quality. In some homes, poor air circulation, cigarette smoke or high humidity can create dirty air that can also affect your health.

Try to discover the source of the dirty air. Look for mold and dirty ducts. Try increasing the circulation in your house—especially if you’ve been painting or doing home renovations. Open the doors and turn on some fans to bring some fresh air into the mix to reduce the amount of dirty air.

Asthma is an inflammatory disorder of the airways that causes attacks of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and coughing.* Breathing in allergens such as pet dander, dust, mold and pollen can trigger attacks in individuals with sensitive asthma. If someone in your family has asthma, having an allergy test can sometimes be helpful in identifying triggers. Then your family can work together to try to remove these allergens from your home. Some common ones include pet dander, dust mites, cockroach allergens, molds and pollens. Work together with your family’s doctor to develop a plan to help eliminate asthma triggers around the house.

Your family and guests can have sensitivities to indoor and outdoor allergens that can affect their skin, eyes or breathing passageways, as most environmental allergens contact the skin or eyes, or are inhaled.** Mold, animals and dust are common indoor and outdoor allergens that you can help manage through frequent cleaning, vacuuming and dusting. Here are some symptoms to help you understand your family’s allergies: coughing; difficulty breathing; hives; itchy nose, eyes, throat or skin; rashes; red eyes; runny nose and sneezing.** Sometimes, getting rid of decorative and potentially unnecessary fabrics such as bed skirts, rugs and extra throw pillows can help reduce the amount of allergens that get trapped in the rooms of your home. Washing the fabrics and bedding in your home can help reduce the amount of allergens, as can changing the filters in your furnace.