5 Tips to reduce allergens in your home! #BonaHealthyHome

In coordination with National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month as declared by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Bona is offering a $3 off coupon to help you keep your home clean and allergen free this Spring! Did you know one in five Americans suffers from some type of allergy or asthma?

Oh Spring, we are so glad you are here and we are so looking forward to summer. We've even seen some temps up to 90 degrees here in the South already, but that just means it's time to play. Kids on their bikes, baseball is in full swing, you might have even gotten a whiff of a neighbor or two using their bbq grills - oh how I love this time of year!

Fortunately, I have been able to manage my allergies pretty well this year and I've only come down with one sinus infection (fingers crossed that's all). I have been trying to treat myself a little better and manage my symptoms as they arrive rather than ignoring them until I just can't stand it anymore. The boys have had the sniffles on and off, but my poor little E, was diagnosed a couple of weeks ago with Bronchospasm, which from what I can tell is basically wheezing and/or coughing (caused by swelling in the Bronchi) that could be caused by allergies, an infection, or asthma. He's obviously too little for a real diagnosis of what the underlying probably might be, but he had a drippy nose, lots of drool and an awful cough. I'm hoping this is just a one time thing, but if it's allergies or asthma we want him to be as comfortable as possible and prevent having to use that cute Sammy the Seal nebulizer we are currently renting to use as needed.

Part of keeping the whole family healthy starts with our home. So, after doing a little research, here are some ways to reduce allergens and irritants in your home!

1. Remove the allergens (literally). When you and your family come home from spending a beautiful spring day outdoors, remove shoes and clothing and take them to the laundry to prevent spreading allergens to furniture and bedding.
2. Kill the dust mites! Wash your bedding in a washing machine that reaches 130 degrees F at least once per week. This temp kills dust mites and their eggs that thrive in our bedding and mattresses! (yuck) Also, to prevent dust mites, Use Mattress and Pillow covers. When pillows and mattresses are new, cover them with dust mite covers. According to WedMD, You can find dust mite covers for mattresses, pillows, and box springs at mattress and allergy supply stores and in a variety of materials.
3. Change your air filters in your home every 2-3 months!
4. Bath and brush your pets. Whether or not you are allergic to pet dander, there's no preventing pets from brining the outdoor allergens indoors. Give them a bath, groom them and try to keep shedding minimized. (That last part is a daily struggle for us.)
5. Use cleaning supplies that are non-irritating and certified allergy and asthma friendly, like the new Bona Free and Simple Hardwood Floor cleaner. You know most allergy and asthma associations, recommend removing carpet from your home and replacing it with wood flooring? Thank goodness we have a great vacuum because the carpet in our new house's bedrooms bothers me for this very reason, but the rest of the house I can clean with Certified products and natural chemical free products on most surfaces. 

Bona's new free & simple shines the floors and is safe for those little bare toddler feet and a crawling baby. These kids are all over the place, so it's hard to keep up, but at least I can clean our floors with hypoallergenic cleaner that's free of dyes and scents! If you've been reading here lately, you know we are big on this in every area and I'm happy to have found so many great products that work for what we need and want to use in our home. It's so great to have so many choices out there, like Bona!

It also actually gets the job done and makes for pretty, shining wood floors! 

Do you or your kids suffer from allergies this time of year? What are your go-to tricks to reduce allergens in your home? 

Don't forget to grab the coupon! 

Linking up with: best of the blogosphere, inspiration^2, Hearth and Home, Friday Features, Freedom Fridays, The List and Thursday Favorite Things