How to clean your living room to control indoor allergies 

Your living room is probably one of the busiest rooms in your home, as it’s where family members and friends come to relax and spend time together. This might surprise you, but the same living room is also considered one of the grimiest home spots. 

Usually, there is little risk of germs spreading from your living room floors to the furniture unless you have young children or pets. 

However, your floor and furniture can be a prime ‘landing spot’ for dust and allergens, including debris from dust mites, pollen, mold spores, and pet allergens (dander).

Read our article as we tell you how to clean your living room to ensure you and your family are protected from different kinds of germs, bacteria, and allergies. 

Why are living rooms hotspots for dust, allergens, and germs?

Surfaces such as furniture, carpets, curtains, and shelves collect dust, germs, and indoor allergens such as house dust, mite, debris, pet hair, mold spores, and pollen. 

If you or anyone of your family members is sensitive to these allergens, do regular cleaning of the grimiest places in your home, especially the living room, to help reduce the risk of exposure to them. 

A proper living room cleaning etiquette ensures a dust, germs, and allergen-free living room. Here’s how to keep your living room hygienically clean:

Gather your cleaning supplies

Your living room cleaning project will be completed more effectively and faster if you gather the necessary cleaning supplies and equipment for the job. 

These items include a vacuum, broom, sponge, microfiber cloth, floor cleaner, antiseptic liquid, disinfectant spray, and paper towels. 

Dusting

• Dry dusting with a soft cloth or feature duster is the best way to reach areas like cornices, picture rails, curtain rods, and high shelves. 
• Use a damp microfiber cloth, which will remove dust and is better on hard surfaces like baseboards, picture frames, doorframes, and coffee tables. 
• Wooden furniture in the living room will benefit from furniture polish or wax, designed to feed the timber and protect it against moisture. Always do a spot test if you are using a new product for the first time. 

Allergens are not only found in the living room, but they are present everywhere in your house. Read our article on how to reduce allergens in the bedroom to make your sleeping experience more comfortable and hygienic.

Windows 

• Handheld vacuums are perfect for cleaning curtains, rods, and pelmets without taking them down. 
• Take a microfiber cloth, soak it in antiseptic liquid and clean the blinds or windows. You may need to wash the cloth clean several times as you go. 

Air conditioning systems are quite common in living rooms these days. So, knowing how to clean an air conditioning unit helps reduce its dust and debris.

Floors

• Vacuuming is the most effective way to remove dust, pet dander, dust mites, and other debris from carpets and soft furnishings. If one of your family members suffers from allergies, use a vacuum fitted with a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter.
• Clean your floors using an antibacterial floor cleaner. Also, leave the floor to dry before allowing anyone to walk on them.
• If soft furnishings and carpets become wet (due to an accident or steam cleaning), ensure they are dried quickly to prevent mold growth.

Don’t forget to read these essential tips for making your floor completely safe with kids crawling around the house. 

Furniture

• Upholstery and soft fabric will trap and collect dust. Instead, choose hard materials such as wood, leather, vinyl, or treated canvas to limit allergens on your furniture.
• Choose machine-washable covers for cushions, pillows, and seat covers, and wash them regularly with antiseptic liquid to kill 99.9% of germs, bacteria, and allergens.
• Untreated, rough wood and ornate furniture trap more dust mites and debris than furniture with a smooth finish.
• Cupboards and display cabinets are easier to maintain if they have closed doors.
• Lampshades, paintings, and hanging decorations are all dust traps that must be cleaned regularly with antibacterial multi-use wipes before dust particles become airborne.

Hard surfaces

• Clean shelves, tables, and other hard surfaces using multi-use wipes. This prevents germs, bacteria, and allergens from becoming airborne while removing debris.
• The more ornaments, books, and photograph frames you have on display, the more surfaces there are to keep clean. 
• Place hard-to-clean items in cupboards, drawers, or display cabinets with glass doors to avoid exposing them to dust.

Carpets and rugs

• Regular vacuuming is the best way to eliminate the dust and dirt accumulated on the carpets and rugs.
• Carpet stains can house dust, dirt, germs, bacteria, and allergens if not treated as quickly as possible. 
• For liquid spills, immediately blot away the moisture with paper towels or a white cloth. In the case of solid items, use the edge of a credit card or a dull knife to lift away the solids.

How to reduce the spread of germs in your living room

It’s not just allergens and dust that collect in your living room. Germs and bacteria can also cause problems, so it’s important to make sure you watch out for key ‘hot spot’ areas:

• Everyday objects such as the TV remote, light switches, telephones, and door handles should be cleaned and disinfected using a disinfectant spray to avoid spreading germs from person to person.
• It’s much easier to keep hard floors clean compared to carpets. Machine-washable rugs are a hygienic alternative that will keep your living room cozy and clean.
• Any spillages such as blood, vomit, or urine should be cleaned up as soon as possible using disposable cloths. Make sure the surface is thoroughly disinfected and dried.

Your kitchen and bathroom should also receive equal attention as your living room when it comes to cleaning. But, before you can get rid of dirt, dust, germs, bacteria, and allergens from those places, you must be aware of kitchen and bathroom hygiene spots. 

Look after your cleaning supplies

• Clean, disinfect and dry your mop and bucket after each use to remove lingering bacteria, then store the dry mop head facing upwards.
• Make sure you either use disposable cleaning cloths or disinfect them after every use.

Disinfect your cleaning supplies using Dettol antiseptic liquid - a non-poisonous disinfectant that protects against germs, bacteria, and viruses. 

You must wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap or liquid hand wash before and after cleaning your living room. 

FAQs

How often should you clean your living room?

You should aim to clean your living room at least once a week and more thoroughly, using the steps mentioned above, every two to four weeks.

Why cleaning your living room is important?

Cleaning your living room is important because it eliminates dirt, dust, germs, bacteria, and allergens resulting in better indoor air quality.

What are the 4 stages of cleaning the living room cleaning equipment? 

Following are the 4 stages of cleaning the living room cleaning equipment:

1. Cleaning - Removing all organic material
2. Washing - Removing 99.9% of microorganisms 
3. Disinfecting - Removing microbes on inanimate objects or surfaces
4. Drying - Allowing ample time for extended drying