Make Your Home Asthma Safe

Home is where the heart is, but it’s also loaded with asthma triggers. Many asthma triggers are hiding in plain sight in the bedroom, common living spaces, kitchen and bathrooms. 

There are two main types of asthma triggers: allergens and irritants.  

Allergens are specific to a person and cause an immune response in their body. Irritants are things that aggravate the nose, lining of the nose, throat and the lungs.

Some of the most common indoor allergens are: 

• Pet dander 
• Dust mites 
• Mold 
• Cockroaches 

Some of the most common indoor irritants are: 

• Cigarette smoke 
• Wood smoke 
• Strong odors (from cleaning supplies, scented candles, perfume) 

Other irritants can include:

• Colds or respiratory infections
• Stress 
• Laughing or crying

Not everyone has the same asthma triggers, so it’s important to find the most bothersome triggers in your home. An allergist — a doctor who specializes in treating allergies — can also help pinpoint triggers with allergy testing. Once you know which triggers are the worst and where they hide in your house, you can get rid of them.

Clear Your Home of Common Triggers

Every room in your home can provide shelter to allergens. A careful room-by-room survey can help you identify and remove them. 

Bedroom 
The most likely triggers in the bedroom are dust mites and pet dander. Dust mites are tiny bugs too small to see. They’re often found in mattresses, pillows, bedding, carpets, upholstered furniture and stuffed toys. Many people with asthma are allergic to the droppings and body parts of dust mites. 

To fight dust mites, think about places where dust collects, then clean those spots often. Here are some more tips: 

• Remove wall-to-wall carpet. If you can’t do that, vacuum at least once a week. 
• Encase your pillows, mattress and box springs in special covers designed to keep out dust mites. 
• Wash bedding each week in hot water.
• Remove or wash stuffed animals often. 
• Use a damp rag when you dust to collect particles rather than move them around.  
• Keep pets off the bed and out of the bedroom.   

Living room 
Common triggers in the living room include dust mites, pets, strong odors, wood smoke and tobacco smoke. If someone with asthma lives in your home, you should never smoke in the home. Limit or avoid the use of wood smoke and fireplaces, too. You can also take these steps:

• Keep pets off your furniture so their dander doesn’t cling to the fabric. 
• Avoid wall-to-wall carpet and heavy curtains. 
• Don’t use scented candles or air fresheners of any kind. 
• Vacuum, including upholstered furniture.
• Dust at least once a week. 

Bathroom 
Mold is the main trigger in bathrooms. So are strong odors from hairspray, perfume, scented candles and air fresheners. To eliminate triggers in the bathroom:

• Turn on the bathroom fan when you take a shower or bath to help surfaces dry faster. If you don’t have a fan, clean bathroom surfaces, towels and shower curtains often. 
• Avoid heavy perfume, lotions and body products. 
• Use cleaning products without strong odors. Clean when the person with asthma is not home.  

Also, remember the bathroom is a place to wash off triggers. Some outdoor triggers can become indoor triggers. When kids play outside, they often bring pollen and ragweed inside. Make sure they take a bath and wash their hair before going to bed. 

Kitchen
We don't want to think about pests in our homes, but in the kitchen, cockroaches can be a problem. Many people with asthma are allergic to cockroach droppings. Exposure to them can trigger asthma symptoms. To prevent pests: 

• Clean up any crumbs on the counter right away. 
• Store food in airtight containers. 
• Wash away grease on and around the stove. 

Do you have a gas stove? If so, be aware that it releases nitrogen dioxide that bothers some people with asthma. When you cook, use an exhaust fan.

Ridding your home of asthma triggers may seem like a big job. Break it down into simple steps and take a slow, room-by-room approach. Even small steps will make a difference for a person living with asthma.

Sources: Asthma Basics,  American Lung Association, 2024; Control Your Asthma and Allergy Triggers,  Asthma, Allergy Foundation of America, 2024

Originally published 7/1/2016; Revised 2020, 2022, 20204