I have been having the worst allergies lately. I'm allergic to dust, but it feels more these days like I'm allergic to breathing.
I usually am able to maintain a stable truce with my dust allergy... don't bother me, and I don't bother you. I know I'm in for it if I clean, or organize, or wear clothes that have sat in my closet unworn and unwashed for too long. I basically ignore constant congestion and periodic sneezing fits. Antihistamines are my friend.
But somehow the equilibrium has been seriously thrown off. Antihistamines are barely taking the edge off of my problems. We gutted our bedroom several weeks ago and did about 10 loads of laundry washing every part of our bedding and room that could be dismantled. I even used a rug cleaner on our rug. And still... misery.
Vacation was a wonderful respite (for the most part) from this sneezing plague, but about 5 minutes after we walked through the door of our house, it began again.
So, the good news: I'm not allergic to the dog, or to outdoor allergens. The bad news: I'm allergic to our house!!!!
I have been turning the house upside down today trying to de-dust as much as possible. Here's a sampling of my crazy dust-elimination strategy:
*Roll up the area rug in our bedroom, remove our dust ruffle and curtains
*Steam clean all area rugs in the house
*Move all furniture and vacuum and mop behind all pieces of furniture
*Wash all overheads fans and A/C vents
*Use the AC continually to reduce the humidity to discourage dust mite growth
*Take off our mattress topper because it can't be easily cleaned
*Put out three air purifiers that we hadn't been using because we always have our windows open
*Spray this allergen-neutralizer on all upholsered furniture
*Have a dust mask available at all times if I get into a room that really bothers me
*Start taking probiotics (which some studies have shown reduce allergic symptoms)
That's only about half of the items on my allergy to do list. Hopefully something will work SOON!!!
