The key to an asthma safe home is cleanliness and freshness. You shouldn’t let it overwhelm you since we’re all human and have a lot of other responsibilities. But there are a few simple measures that can make a big difference. Paying attention to any mold, residue or bacteria that may accumulate anywhere such as refraining from leaving food or dirty dishes lying around and keeping garbage containers closed, can be a huge deterrence.

Animals are a big asthma trigger. The hair itself does not trigger allergies rather mites, pollen, dander and mold do. Some things to do instead of having to get rid of a pet are to keep it outside and not in the same room as the person with asthma, and to wash and brush it every week.

Use air conditioning rather than leaving windows open. The air conditioning keeps clean air flowing rather than fresh air which might contain pollen or dust particles.

Keep everything clean from the bedding, the counter-tops, to the air conditioning vents. Keep dust out of the house by cleaning often. Choose bedding with synthetic materials and wash every few weeks or as often as every week in hot water. Avoid carpeting as it tends to accumulate dust and other particles and make sure rugs are washable.

Eliminate commercial cleaning products because baking soda and white vinegar can be used to clean most household products. If using commercial cleaning products make sure they say “low VOCs.” Volatile organic compounds (VOC) can easily aggravate asthma symptoms.

And lastly, choose to smoke outside the house instead of inside.