Indoor allergies

According to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of American, 1 in 4 Americans have allergies. I have horrible allergies indoor and outdoors and all season long.  My eyes itch like crazy and I literally wish I could rub my nose off. At night I have a hard time breathing through my nose. During the summer my back neighbors have these tree's that have such a strong scent and massive pollen counts  that I cannot even open my windows for about a month. They are so bad that even my husband has issues with them and he doesn't even have allergies. Its a constant struggle all year long for me. Uggg

There are a few ways you can have some allergy relief.  Since mine are so bad, I only get a small amount of relief but hey, I will take any help I can get. Over the years I have found new ways to help with my allergies and hopefully you can get some use from my tips. And don't forget to leave a comment and add your own tips!

Improve indoor air quality
Tobacco and wood fires are huge triggers. Let friends and family know you have allergies and do not allow people to smoke in your home.  We have a strict no smoking rule in our home. During the winter we use our fireplace but I have to be careful how long i'm in the same room and keep my bedroom door shut or I will suffer all night long.  They also say that high levels of VOC (found in paint) can cause children to get asthma at a young age. So you might want to think about repainting rooms with no VOC paint especially if you have young children.  Cleaners are also loaded with VOC's. Might want to try cleaning with 50/50 vinegar and water and see if that helps you out.  Also children can help with cleaning because its non toxic.

Use dye free/fragrance free products
You have to be real careful with this one. Some products say they are dye free/fragrance free but are really not. Its better to just not buy any products unless you have to. Instead of using room spray use a spray bottle with water and a couple drops of your favorite essential oils. My favorite is lime/lavender.  Use your own homemade cleaners as stated above.  No plug in fresheners, no smelly perfumes, and lets just face it. No fragrance of any sort in any item in your home. This means also no carpet powder or febreeze type products Besides why do you want to mask anything? Just keep your home clean/body clean and you wont smell. Am I right?

Clean clean clean
Keeping your home clean will keep your allergies at bay. Dust often, pet hair/dander is everywhere so vacuum often, and don't let mold grow anywhere.  Keep your bathroom well ventilated to keep mold out.  Vacuum often and sweep every day.  A tidy home will help you breath more easily.

Out Optical Brighteners
Many laundry products contain ingredients called optical brighteners which are chemicals that reflect light in a way that tricks the eye to make fabrics seem brighter or whiter than they are. Sneaky companies!  To do this, optical brighteners are deposited on fabrics during the wash process. This can be problematic because optical brighteners can rub off on skin and react with sunlight to cause an allergic reaction which presents as a rash that is often mistaken for sunburn. Potential skin contact and allergic skin reactions caused by optical brighteners can be avoided by using laundry products that are optical brightener free.  Now days you can find these just about everywhere. Don't forget to research research research.

 Keep your windows closed in pollen season
Instead try keeping a fan in your room.  If you use your A/C unit, change the allergy filter often.  This has helped me out so much.  If you open your window, you invite all that pollen outside to come right in your home.

Avoid line drying outside
I have a hard time with this one. I refuse to not dry my stuff outside. My mother did it and I prefer the smell of my clothing naturally dried outside. Sorry but I cannot use my dryer unless its not possible for me to dry them outside.  I love the smell, the softness of my clothing and i'm loving the energy savings off my energy bill.  But if I did stop drying them outside, it would help my allergies a lot. Again I REFUSE! I have drying racks I can use in my garage for the winter months. There is always options.

So my question is what do you do about your allergies? Do you have allergies as bad as I do? How do you cope with indoor allergies?