7 Ways to Have A Healthy Bedroom (2)

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

11 Jun 2008 09:12 AM

If you suffer from asthma or allergies, you'll definitely want to take some steps to ensure that you have a healthy bedroom. Sniffling, sneezing, coughing and wheezing can all affect your sleep, not to mention the rest of your day. In the previous article, I covered four different steps that you can take to have a healthy bedroom. If you missed that article, click here: 7 Ways to Have A Healthy Bedroom. Now, let's take a look at the last three ways.

5. Address the mattress. While pillow top mattresses seem to be standard now, they can also trap allergens. There was one scary study that said a 10-year-old mattress would actually weigh an extra five to ten pounds than it did when purchased, due to dust and dust mites. Eww. Consider purchasing an allergen-free mattress, or at the very least, invest in a mattress cover to reduce the allergens as much as possible. Make sure to wash bedding on a weekly basis if not more frequently. Some allergists recommend washing bedding every two or three days in hot water.

6. Clutter control. reduce the number of objects in the bedroom, and you'll reduce the number of things that collect dust. Remove the trailing fake ivy, the knick-knacks and the dust ruffles, if possible. For a child's room, it is hard to avoid toys so think about ways to keep them corralled and covered, such as by using plastic storage bins that will keep everything dust free.

7. Go low VOC. Paint the bedroom only with paint that is low or zero in volatile organic compounds or VOCs. These paints don't produce any lingering odors or release any chemicals into the room that might affect allergies or asthma. There are many great paints out there that are low or zero voc. For painted furniture, consider buying it unfinished and then painting it with low or zero VOC paint.

Happy breathing!

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. Starting June 1st, don't miss her articles in the Baby Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

Related Articles:

Romance Granola

Frugal Cold Treatments

Going Green in the Bedroom

Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger