Does vacuuming make allergies worse?

Any allergy, be it to a food or something environmental, is the body’s immune system responding to normally harmless substances. The immune system identifies a threat, which causes a reaction in the body. These range from itchy skin and sore eyes to anaphylaxis, which can be fatal.

Dr Helen Evans-Howells, an allergy specialist who helps parents deal with allergies, says family history plays a major part in whether you will have an allergy or not.

“The biggest component of any allergy is still genetics,” she explains.

“But when we look at any allergies, there is also something to be said about the sort of increased pollution around that’s probably increasing respiratory disease.

“We also know more about the gut microbiome – the happy bacteria that live in our gut – and we’re definitely seeing that there are factors that can influence allergy forming, but probably with some sort of other trigger.”

While allergies tend to stay with you for life, Evans-Howells says there are various points when they can improve or get worse, especially for women.

“Your allergies can change at any point, particularly when we’re looking at environmental allergies, which can change as our hormones change,” she says.

“Sometimes as you start your period, you’re pregnant, or going through the menopause, it can get better or worse.”

A study in 2010 by market research firm Mintel found that a third of sufferers have changed their lifestyles to reduce allergic reactions, with 11% using special bedding and another 11% keeping their home extra clean.

But does cleaning, especially vacuuming, help relieve allergy symptoms? Overall, it seems that when it comes to environmental allergies, such as dust and pollen, your vacuum is on your side.

“Vacuuming is the mainstay of trying to lower the allergen load in your house, so you should be considering vacuuming very regularly,” says Evans-Howells.

However, she does advise that if you’re the allergy sufferer and are pushing the vacuum around, this could temporarily worsen your symptoms.

“If you are the person who is responsible for the dusting and the hoovering, then you are kind of exposing yourself to it,” she says.

Wearing a mask may help, but someone else doing the cleaning is the only way to really avoid the allergens.

Don’t forget that allergens can live elsewhere in your home, too. Dust mites love soft furnishings so vacuuming your sofa and chairs, as well as washing any removable covers, will help reduce their presence.

If you have pets, pay particular attention to curtains and blinds, where pet fur can build up as they pass by or have a nosey out of the window.

When it comes to buying a vacuum cleaner that can help with your allergies, Alice Lynch, in-house cleaning expert with the Henry vacuum brand, says it’s worth spending time to find the right one.

“You need to ensure you have the right tools with strong enough suction and dust-free emptying to avoid creating even more dust,” she says.

“Using vacuums that lock in dirt and don’t release large dust clouds that aggravate allergies is essential.”

Evans-Howells says the most important element of an allergy-friendly vacuum cleaner is a HEPA filter, which filters out even tiny particulates.

“The evidence would be that they would be the better ones to choose,” she says.

While many of the best cordless vacuums carry some kind of filter, not all of them have a “real” HEPA filter that reach this allergy-friendly standard. Samsung’s Jet 90 cordless vacuums, for example, come with an ultra fine HEPA dust filter that captures 99.999% of micro dust and allergens.

Featured product

Samsung Jet 90 Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner

RRP: £349

Check price

Check price

To ensure the filter keeps those allergens at bay, it’s important to clean it regularly. Ideally, get someone else to do this in case the debris triggers your allergy.

There is a train of thought that bagged vacuums are slightly better for allergy sufferers. When you empty the vacuum, the dust and debris are all neatly contained within the bag, which means it’s less likely to irritate allergy sufferers.

The Henry Allergy vacuum goes one step further, featuring self-seal locks on all its dust bags to seal dirt, dust and hair inside, so you have minimum contact with potential allergens.

Featured product

Henry Allergy

RRP: £199.99

Check price

Check price

Evans-Howells says that while this may help allergy sufferers, the newer bagless vacuum cleaners tend to have better filters.

If you suffer from an allergy, she suggests getting someone else to empty the dirty vacuum bin to avoid any reaction. If that’s not possible, a face mask and gloves can help.

Tip 1: It’s important to use the right technique when vacuuming to avoid stirring up allergens further. Not sure how to vacuum properly? Vacuum in straight lines, forward and back, going slowly to prevent agitating the dust further. Put all your energy into pushing the vacuum, rather than when pulling it back, as this ensures you don’t leave any dirt behind.

Tip 2: As well as vacuuming, Allergy UK recommends steam-cleaning your carpets and soft furnishings once a month. Pollen can live in the carpet for up to three months after exposure and pet dander (skin and hair) can stay around for years. They recommend Vaporetta steam cleaners for sanitising and removing dust mites.

Featured product

Polti Vaporetto Smart 100_B

RRP: £279.99

Check price

Check price

Tip 3: Damp dusting is a better choice than using a dry duster, advises Evans-Howells.“It will help pick the dust up rather than spread it around,” she says.

Tip 4: Swap your flooring. It’s probably not economical to suddenly rip out your carpets, but if you are thinking about updating your flooring, Evans-Howells recommends ceramic or wood flooring for easier cleaning. It’s also not attractive for dust mites.

The same goes for curtains: swap them for roller blinds. And if you’re in the market for a new sofa, choose a leather cover.

Tip 5: In the bedroom, Allergy UK advises putting allergen-proof barrier covers on all mattresses, duvets and pillows, which will help reduce allergy symptoms. These should be breathable and should completely enclose the item.

Tip 6: Open the window. Evans-Howells says the UK climate is perfect for dust mites as they hate extreme temperatures.

While it might be excessive to move to a colder or hotter country, opening the windows can help by reducing moisture – something the little blighters love – and creating air flow throughout the house. This will also help if you suffer from mould allergies.

Tip 7: Vacuum more if you have a pet. Lynch says that depending on how you’re your pet moults, you may need to vacuum every day to help with allergens.

“During the transition from winter to summer, pet owners often experience excessive hair in the house, which if not dealt with quickly can get into the strangest of places such as the oven, food and even people’s mouths,” she says.

“Keep on top of it to stop it spreading.”

For more useful tips for helping to reduce allergens in your home, check out Allergy UK’s factsheets.