So, I am always giving tips that work for my family, but with my daughter’s recent breathing problems and asthma diagnosis, I thought I would turn to you guys for some practical tips.
She is on her medications now which will hopefully keep improving her symptoms. However, as I was reading over the booklet that they give to parents of kids with asthma, I was a little intimidated by the cleaning recommendations.
I need to wash her sheets, blankets and stuffed animals once a week. The sheets and blankets are doable. The stuffed animals, I am thinking we will need to cut down on. She loves her stuffed animals so much though I hate to do that. So that is my first question. Does anyone have any tips about how to wash dolls? Do you just put them in the washer and dry them??
Next, I read that I need to thoroughly clean her room weekly, including under the bed and in the closet each week. This sounds a little intimidating to me. I do clean my house each day, but I don’t clean out under the beds and couches once a week, and I definitely don’t clean out closets once a week. We have hard wood floors or laminate throughout the house and no carpet, so I don’t have to worry about carpet cleaning. However, the rest of the additional cleaning feels a bit overwhelming to me. So here’s my question: What tips do you have to speed up cleaning?
I also would love to hear from any of you who have kids with asthma. What are some practical tips? Do you clean your house that often, and if so does it help? Was there any sort of a diet or avoiding certain foods that helped?
I know I am a nurse, but asthma is not something that I really ever saw since I was an oncology and newborn nurse. We have also never had anyone in our family with asthma, so I feel a little like a fish out of water. Tonight she actually sounded the worst that she has ever sounded, but it calmed down after a couple of treatments, but I would love any tips that you guys have or any articles that you have read that are helpful.
I am obviously willing to do whatever I need to do for my child, and am planning on doing a spring cleaning all day today, but I would love some tips about how to keep it up.
I suffered from Asthma as a child. The recommendation you are reading is based on getting rid of the dust mites. Which is my allergy and the reason for my asthma. Don’t get overwhelmed just get rid of dust ASAP. If you have a filter in your heat/air system this is one of the most important things to change regularly. I can actually tell when mine needs to be changes as well as the churches and my parents. Stuffed animals can go in a pillow case through the washer as can dolls. Mini blinds are another really bad area. My rainbow vac is the best investment I have made because dust mites can’t live in water. If you have a regular vac change the bag every couple of weeks as well. Hope this helps..
When I lived in Texas, the Dr’s said I had asthma. But when I moved to Alabama, it went away. It was the dust. Get a portable airfilter and move it to her room. Or get a large one with the proper sq ft for your house and maby a small one for her room. Also check to see if a humidifier or de-humidifier would be good to have. We have one in mu daughters room and we can tell when it needs changed. The dolls and animals can be put in a pillow case to wash and dry. Try to stay away from scented things such as detergent. Not sure but some brands have a product to help do away with allergins. blinds are bad so I would switch to a non allergin type or curtins you can wash.
All above are great advice even doing the duct cleaning for your furnance helps elimanate alot of dust that circulates in the house. I had asthma, still have some but not as severe, my mom down sized my stuffed animals I remember donating 3 trash bag fulls and stil haing tons lol, but the air filter system that Elizabeth was talking about are great, my friends had them her and her sister were both breathing treatments for their asthma when we were little
My son has a dust mite allergy and I can tell when I need to clean based on his symptoms. One thing about the stuffed animals – cut down, but if there are ones that can’t be washed, but are very loved, our doc suggested that we bag them and freeze them overnight. That will kill the little buggers just as well as a wash. Also, look at cutting out all fragrances made with pthalates.
Have you ever heard of FlyLady.net? With her system you learn to deep clean each room (zone) once a month, by spending 15 minutes on it a day. Some people have adapted that for their children’s rooms to focus on one section of their room a day. You can divide your child’s room into “zones”: under the bed, the floor, the tops of dressers, etc. If you need to detail clean her room often, you could work on setting up something like that so you’re not overwhelmed.
My first question is “is the only allergy to dust mites, or are there other triggers?” I have mild asthma, and have had it since I was a child and I have mild to severe allergies depending on several factors. Including, but by no means limited to, every season change is difficult for me, and often results in at least one bad asthma attack. There are several things you will want to keep a check on: One would be the dust. Then the season changes. This is not simply the obvious but often the unseen. For example my allergies have been starting to kick in for about a week now because things are starting to wake up from their winter nap. Also, natural as well as man made fragrances. This includes cleaning and freshening products. Citrus fragrances are a bad one for me, but it is going to take time to figure out what her triggers are, and how to best handle them. One of the most important things a doctor once told me that has definitely helped me, is not to be outside at dawn and dusk. I try to not be outside between 6am to 9am, and again from 6pm to 8pm (this is when most plants and animals release things into the air such as pollen and other things). I obviously can not always manage these things, but just trying has helped. It is very scary when it is your child, but unfortunately it is going to take some time to figure out what effects her. I have a six year old that we have found to be allergic to several medications, so I go through the fear every time I have to give her medicine, especially antibiotics. The one fact that I have come to accept is that I will do everything in my power to prevent these triggers from getting to me and my children, and understanding that I can not prevent all of them so I stay prepared for the times that I can not. I would also offer my prayers for your little one, and you.
I have suffered with sever allergies since I was a toddler. My most horrifing memory was probably when I was 5 or 6. After I had been to an allergist and was tested, my mother came home and threw out all of my stuffed animals. I had none left. I will never forget how terrible that was for me. I spent most of my years even through high school and my early twenties, fighting with shots and never being able to get any where with them. Surprisingly enough,I did not have asthma and still do not. In my mid 20s I started working for a chiropractor and part of the benefit was getting adjusted. I no longer take any medication and I even have a dog!. So, I suggest trying chiropractic. You know, if your nerves go through your spine and you have a pinched nerve, it’s got to go somewhere and if it’s pinched, it can not work effectively.
I have severe allergies and have taken allergy shots for years. I agree with much of what was said already. My family was a little skeptical of my sensitivities, but are becoming believers. When my allergies are bad I immediately check my environment. In winter, it is all indoor stuff. My husband is amazed that I can tell almost to the day when our air filter needs to be changed. (We change it monthly and he marks the date on the furnace.)
If I am having problems, I do a thorough cleaning before changing the filter. First, I dust-top to bottom. Hardwood floors are great and will save you lots of work. We use a vacuum with a good filter. Dust mops and stick-type vacuums just stir up more dust. Then we mop.
A couple of quick tips that really help. The dog gets a bath once each week. For me that is key. It isn’t hard once you get used to it and everyone in the house takes a turn. She is so used to it that she jumps in the tub when we call her.
Also, Fabreeze Allergy Reducer has changed my life. Other Fabreeze products aggravate my allergies, but the Allergy Reducer product is wonderful. After cleaning, I spray it on everything! Window treatments, furniture, throw rugs, area rugs, etc.
This major cleaning happens about every three months on average. Otherwise, I try to keep the main living areas and my bedroom up the most, but I’m not a clean freak by any means. Hope that helps!
Everyone has given you wonderful advice. The only thing I want to add is that if you child has an inhaler always have it with you. Since you don’t know the triggers yet. We are having to get another machine for my MIL so that if we are there she will have it. May seem extreme but she lives in a rural area, so I want to be careful. The only other thing that I can STRESS is when your child is in the care of others make sure they KNOW how to use the meds. My nephew was sent home from school last week. The nurse did not know how to use his inhaler and by the time my sister got there had given him 4 puffs of the meds. That is more than I take in most days. His heart was just racing. So that is my advice make sure those that watch your child have some knowledge of the meds.
It does sound like a lot but the first round of cleaning will be the hardest after that you will maintain. We just went through and did the whole throw away the stuffed animals. Now we kept some but it is no more than a washer load. Most of mine I throw in the wash and dryer without putting them in a bag. My thoughts on that are this… if they fall apart or tear up they don’t need them anyway! Seems like we are always getting more for the holidays… so they will get replaced.
As much as you help your readers I am sure any of them would gladly give you any time you need! It can be overwhelming for someone with out asthma or how had not dealt with it before, but like anything else you will overcome and understand.
The one thing that helped me as a child with asthma and allergies was to remove the carpet from my room and swiffer once a week. This helps cut down on the dust and dust mites in the room. My parents let me pick out my flooring (I got linoleum) and put throw rugs that can be machine washable. This the advise that my pediatric pulminary doctor gave me and I now only have exercise induced asthma. Hope it works for you!
I wonder if the cleaning is necessary, but if it is allergies then it might be. My son has asthma, mild asthma though. My asthma is a bit worse, but still fairly mild. It is fairly easily controlled with Advair.
I think you need to figure out what the triggers are. Maybe cleaning the room will help, but for me, I am sensitive to cleaning agents including lysol, scented candles, etc. My son and husband are extremely sensitive to cigarette smoke.
There has been some good advice above. I am going to reiterate some of it.
1. Do invest in a good filter for your furnace, if you can. This has done wonders for us. You do have to change it regularly.
2. I had trouble vacuuming with my asthma, so I invested in a good vacuum with a hepa filter. You might decide to do the same, dependent on what the triggers are.
3. Have your child take their preventative medication religiously. As long as I take my Advair, I can do almost anything. (I have always been somewhat exercise enduced, so I can do most exercise, but bicycling up a hill outside can still get to me.) The preventative should help tremendously. If it doesn’t tell the doctor. He may up the dosage or change the preventative. My husband is on a low dose preventative and any time he has more trouble, he calls the doc and the doc will temporarily give him a higher dose prescription until it gets better.
4. Keep an eye on your child’s breathing, so you know when it is worse and when it is better. (possibly regularly using a peak flow meter.)
Lastly asthma can be well controlled with the medications available, and if it isn’t tell your doctor and they can change the preventative. For years my mom suffered through allergy shots, but you know what made the difference? When some doctor finally diagnosed her with acute asthma and put her on a preventative. It made all the difference. I seem to have a bit of a grass allergy, so I could not cut the grass until I started taking my preventative. IE once the preventative starts helping, I doubt you will need to clean the room that often. I honestly think that is over doing it.
Thanks so much for all of the great tips! I really appreciate you guys advice. We cleaned the room today, with her out of it. I am washing her stuffed animals, and will be putting them on the dresser instead of in her bed. I am still going to let her sleep with one though. I loved sleeping with my dolls as a kid, so unless that’s a problem, I am going to give it a try. I am also going to get the cover for her pillow. We will wash the sheets once a week. I am going to look into curtains instead of blinds. I also am going to get an air purifier. My hubby says he’ll start bathing the cats as well. Thanks again for all of your advice!! Rene
Have you heard of Doug Kaufman, he has a tv program named KNOW THE CAUSE check it out about your childs asthma.. He is a christian website knowthecause.com he talks about natural treatments.. GOD BLESS YOU
I had not heard of him, Delores. Thanks so much. I’m going to check it out now. Rene