Your home should be your haven. But for allergy sufferers, home can mean itchy, watery eyes and a dripping nose. Whether you suffer from seasonal allergies, or are allergic to the dust mites and pet dander lurking around your house, your home may be the place you feel the worst. Want immediate relief? This expert shares her tips on how to live comfortably in your own home.
We spoke to Nancy McKeraghan of Canco ClimateCare, a Newmarket-based company that rents, finances and sells HVAC equipment, about home-based solutions to alleviate allergy symptoms.
Keep a diary
McKeraghan recommends allergy sufferers keep a diary of when and where allergy symptoms occur. Ask yourself if there are rooms in the house you feel worse in, if you feel better when you leave home and worse when you return, and whether there’s a particular time of year when your allergy symptoms are more severe.
Before you can treat your allergies, you must first determine what’s causing them.
Moisture control
“Moisture control is key in controlling moulds and dust mites,” says McKeraghan. Here are some tips that will help control moisture levels in your home:
- Use bathroom fans after showers for a minimum of 30 minutes and exhaust fans in the kitchen to get rid of moisture created when cooking.
- Room or whole home dehumidifiers can help to remove moisture.
- An air conditioner is recommended since it does help dehumidify.
“One of the functions of air conditioners is to remove moisture, as well as remove the home’s warm air and cool the air inside the home,” says McKeraghan.
Need a new air conditioner? The experts at Canco ClimateCare can hook you up with a new one!
Use ceiling fans in these rooms to keep moisture levels in check.
Clear the air
Air cleaners can help to trap particles that are triggering allergy symptoms. Some air cleaners are for the whole house and attach to the furnace system, while others are portable and are suitable for single rooms or small areas of the home.
“The 1-2” filters that people typically have aren’t going to do anything to alleviate allergies. They’re simply going to keep the equipment cleaned,” says McKeraghan.
For allergy sufferers, she recommends 4-5” mechanical air cleaners that are installed between the furnace and the return air duct and trap contaminants.
Depending on the severity of the allergies, a HEPA filter may be preferred. Some HEPA air cleaners include a charcoal filter that helps remove odours and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which come from home building materials, as well as home cleaning products and air fresheners.
Of course, Canco ClimateCare can provide you with the tools you need to keep your home in good working order. Here’s why you should consider hiring them:
Clean your ducts
Removing contaminants that may be trapped in the duct system may also help alleviate allergy symptoms. This is especially important after a renovation, or if you move into a home that has had pets.
A proper duct cleaning can be the key to a more comfortable home!
Yes, that much gunk could be lurking in your air ducts!
If you’re an allergy sufferer, contact the experts at Canco ClimateCare. They have the equipment and expertise to retrofit your home with the proper tools to improve the air circulating in your home, thus improving your quality of life.
