Spring is here and it’s now the perfect time to create a healthy home by deep cleaning, airing out the house and decluttering unused items.

If you or a family member experiences hay fever symptoms, like a runny nose, itchy or watery eyes or sneezing, it’s especially important to keep your home healthy by reducing allergens.

Dust mites, mould, pet dander, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the major airborne triggers for asthma and allergies in the home. VOCs are chemicals including fragrances that evaporate into the air at room temperature and can trigger allergic reactions.

Older and unrenovated homes are more likely to contain asthma and allergy triggers. Fortunately, many of these triggers can be reduced through simple changes including cleaning and using Sensitive Choice approved asthma and allergy friendly products.

Spring cleaning tips

Sensitive Choice has developed some handy tips to help you get started with your spring cleaning. Follow these tips so that you and your family can breathe easier this spring:

• Wash sheets and pillowcases weekly in water hotter than 60°C.
• Cover mattresses, duvet inners and pillows with dust mite-resistant protectors.
• Open curtains and air bedding in the sunshine and give them a regular clean. Avoid this on high pollen count days.
• Use a damp or electrostatic cloth to dust hard surfaces (including floors).
• Avoid feather dusters and dry dusting cloths because they just stir up dust.
• If you have allergies, ask someone else to do the vacuuming, as this increases allergens in the air for up to 20 minutes.
• Consider using a vacuum cleaner with an asthma and allergy sensitive HEPA-13 filter, which will filter out 99.97% of air particles that pass through it.
• If you have children with allergies, keep them away from the room while cleaning.
• Keep rooms dry and well ventilated.
• Clear out the clutter to minimise the surfaces that dust can accumulate on.

Sensitive Choice resources

Sensitive Choice resources help you to understand and manage asthma and allergies so you can live and breathe better. These are a few related resources:  

• Understand which allergens trigger your symptoms 
• Creating a healthy home  
• Cleaning tips
• Dust and dusting

Visit our resource hub to access all the essential resources. 

Look for the Sensitive Choice blue butterfly

Sensitive Choice New Zealand helps 635,000 Kiwis live better with asthma and allergies by identifying products and services that are asthma and allergy aware. 

Our Sensitive Choice approved cleaning products and services have been independently reviewed by an expert panel as Sensitive Choice approved and therefore do not contain strong fragrances or harmful chemicals.

Check out the following cleaning products and services approved in New Zealand by Sensitive Choice:

• Clean Planet cleaning products and services
• Cuddly® Concentrate Sensitive Fabric Conditioner
• Ecostore Ultra Sensitive Home Care