My daughter is already back to school and that means we have to get our home ready for family and friends coming over this fall.  Here are some extra clean-up duties, we do as school gets back in session.

1.     Use a dustbuster or hand vacuum for soft surfaces; like curtains and pillows.  They can trap allergens and make the air inside your home unhealthy.  In addition to the environmental allergens in the Phoenix area, we take some extra steps to eliminate them in our home.  

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2.     Wash your child’s stuffys and other soft items.  Stuffed animals attract pet dander and dust mites, especially since these items are not washed as often as we like.  Make sure the stuffed toys are durable to handle a wash with hot water (should be at least 130 degrees F) in the washing machine.

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*Try FREEZING stuffed animals.  Really, place soft toys in a plastic bag, then freeze for 24 hours and say goodbye to dust mites.

3.     Clean underneath.  Often times, I find food, small toys, and even clothes in the couches I clean.  So move around the furniture from the walls and clean underneath to remove any unwanted debris.

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4.     Replace air filters.   Too bad we don’t have timers to tell us when air filters need to be replaced.  Just take a look at your filter and compare it to a new filter.  Most likely, you need to replace it.  Try to replace your air filters every 3-6 months, depending on the condition of them.

Alright, here’s to a busy, fast-paced school season!  We love the fun-filled holidays, school events and extracurricular activities.  Hope you get to fit in some of these cleaning tips!