My Allergy-Proof House

When I turned 30, I felt depressed. I was sad that my 20's were over. I felt old. When I turned 50 this past January, I felt happy. A friend asked me why I was happy about it, and I said, “Because the life expectancy was 38 in 1776. I feel pretty good to have this opportunity.”

So, here I began a new year, and a new decade of ages, with a positive feeling about life. I’m also feeling good because of my birthday present to myself. My past self worked hard and bought my current self an allergy-proof house. The goal is that this will help me improve my asthma control.

I love my allergy-proof house

Here are some ways my house bodes well for my allergic asthma.

Small yard with really nice grass

First off, it’s in a nice neighborhood. It’s at the end of a cul de sac, which is great for the kids. They can ride their bikes without worrying about traffic. The yard is small, but large enough to play catch with my kids. And there is really nice, green grass. So, mowing will be quick and easy. I can actually even hire a kid for the job (know anyone?).

Small garage and shed

It also has a shed for storing outdoor stuff. In the past, all this outdoor stuff cluttered my garage. And digging stuff out often exposed me to garage triggers. Cleaning that garage exposed me to triggers.

My new-to-me garage and shed combination make it easy to keep things organized and easy to find. They also should be much easier to keep clean and trigger-free.

All wood floors

So, let’s go inside my house. All the floors in the house are wood floors. This is great because triggers such as dust mites, mold spores, and even pollen can get trapped inside carpet, which can trigger asthma symptoms. These triggers can still get on wood floors. But, wood floors can be swept and mopped and kept clear of such triggers.

Central air

It also has a heating and cooling system. It has central air. This means I can keep the house nice and cool during the hot and humid summer months. Yes! As a bonus, the house also has a humidity control system, which definitely helps make it more allergy-proof. So, most evidence suggests a humidity of 30-50 is best for asthmatics.¹ So, the humidity in my house is set at 50.

A/C and humidification control is important. This is because dust mites and mold spores thrive in hot and humid environments.² This is especially important for basements, which tend to get quite hot and humid during the summer months. This can create a breeding ground for mold spores and dust mites.

Finished basement

Oh, and there’s also a very nice big basement. And, unlike my old home, it’s completely finished. I have horrible experience with basements in my asthma past. Some of my worse asthma attacks occur due to my exposure to basement asthma triggers. No more.

Easy to clean blinds and no curtains

There are three bedrooms in my new-to-me home. One is set up nicely with girl colors and the other is set up nicely with boy colors. This is perfect for my Myles and Helena. Also, all the bedrooms do have blinds. But, they have wide slats that are easy to wash and keep dust mite-free.

There are two very large picture windows. This is one of my favorite parts of my new-to-me house. I set my office up by one of these windows. I can look out and see a nice view of the neighborhood. When the kids are out I can keep an eye on them.

I do not have any coverings over these two large windows. I do this on purpose. For one, curtains impede my view of the outdoors. Also, curtains collect dust mites just like blinds do. So, I am purposefully keeping my windows undressed, at least for now. If anyone has any tips on allergy-proof curtains, let me know in the comments below.

No need to worry about remodeling

Stress can also be an asthma trigger. The fact that my house is all updated and clean bodes quite well for me means I no longer have to stress about remodeling older, trigger-filled rooms. Since I have asthma, I can’t really do such projects by myself. So, I have to hire these jobs out. This can be quite costly, so these jobs usually didn’t get done. This sometimes caused stress.

Cleaning these unfinished rooms triggered my asthma, which caused more stress. So, no longer do I have to worry about this aspect of owning a house. Surely this house will require some upkeep. But, nothing compared to my past homes.

I’m enjoying my allergy-proof house!

My older son is a senior at the University of Michigan. He came home for Christmas. His gift to me was a film projector. He said he got it for free and thought I would enjoy it, and he was right!

My new house has a nice big basement. Most of it is fixed up nicely to make a pretty nice-sized family room. Here I set up the film projector. When I attach it to my chrome book we can watch movies on the wall. I get to sit in the recliner and Myles, my younger son, sits on my lap. Helena snuggles with a blanket on a bean bag. This room has quickly become my favorite room.

What is your experience with your home and allergies? Do you have an allergy or asthma trigger-free house? Share your personal experience in the comments below.