60 THE QUEENS COURIER • AT HOME • MAY 16, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
at home
The 5 best ways to get your house
ready to fi ght spring allergies
Spring is not only a time for renewal
around the house, but also for battling
pesky allergies. While you can’t stop allergies
from happening each spring, there
are easy ways to reduce their eff ects in
your home.
Home space expert Egypt Sherrod
shares her tips for refreshing your home
décor, while also reducing allergens and
dust, for a total spring home refresh.
1. Fight back with asthma and
allergy-friendly appliances
Turning your home into an allergy
fi ghting fortress is key this spring.
Look for LG’s lineup of asthma and allergy
friendly(R) certifi ed laundry appliances
and air purifi er solutions by the
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of
America (AAFA). Th ey not only reduce
the impact of allergies in your home, but
also provide a sleek new look for your
spring home refresh.
“I especially love LG Styler, a fi rstof
its-kind steam clothing care system
that reduces 99.9% of allergens on your
favorite clothes, bedding, pillows and
much more with just the gentle power of
steam,” says Sherrod. “I also just helped
a family in Springfi eld, Mass., the number
5 allergy capital in the U.S., upgrade
their home with an LG front-load washer
and PuriCare 360 air purifi er to help
the family breathe a little easier with allergen
fi ghting technologies.” Using both of
these appliances helps reduce airborne
allergens as well as those stuck in the fi bers
on your favorite clothes and bedding,
she explains. Not only do these appliances
make for a healthier home, but they
come in a variety of fi nishes that fi t perfectly
into any type of existing home
decor. Nothing says spring refresh like
new appliances.
2. Replace your old
throw pillows
If you haven’t done this recently, it’s a
good rule of thumb to replace your pillows
every two years to keep allergies at
bay, Sherrod recommends. Swapping old
pillows for new 100% cotton ones are the
easiest way to give your living room and
bedroom a fresh boost of color and pattern,
while also reducing dust and other
allergens lurking in old pillows.
3. New bedding
Although you may not see them, your
bedding is covered in allergens like dust and
pet dander. An easy fi x to spruce up your
bedroom is through replacing old comforters,
blankets and sheets with asthma and
allergy friendly(R) solutions. Sherrod advises
getting rid of the synthetic fabrics, as they
can be allergy irritants. Natural fabrics are
more asthma and allergy friendly.
4. Replace real fl owers
with artifi cial fl owers
Although they are beautiful, real fl owers
can be a mighty allergy instigator. Not
to mention they die quickly and smell
up the house when they rot. “Look into
life-like artifi cial fl owers,” says Sherrod.
“Th ey’ll still add the pop of spring color
you want, but they’ll last longer, and you’ll
breathe easier.”
5. Swap out rugs
Your choice of rug can be the leading
cause of your sneezing fi ts. Th e materials
used to manufacture rugs can sometimes
cause an allergic reaction as well as volatile
organic compounds (VOC’s). Th e presence
of a dog or cat in your home can also
aggravate your allergies. When it comes
to rugs, your rug ends up collecting pet
dander. Th is dander can also collect pollen
and dust, which can all worsen allergies.
It is recommended to invest in a vacuum
cleaner with a built-in HEPA fi lter, and
to vacuum thoroughly one to two times a
week. Also fl ip area rugs over and vacuum
on the back as well as the front. Sherrod
strongly recommends swapping out your
current rug for allergy-friendly fi bers like
sisal, jute, wool or polypropylene.
Following these steps may not cure your
allergies altogether, but they will defi nitely
help you breathe easier this spring, and
year-round. Making these changes will
also give you opportunities to refresh your
decor, brightening up the look and feel of
your home. For more information on how
to eff ectively battle allergies this spring
and beyond, please visit lg.com/homefree.
Courtesy BPT
/WWW.QNS.COM
/homefree
