I finally managed to get around to getting tested for allergies yesterday, in my ongoing quest to figure out what the hell is causing my repeated bouts of Pleurisy. In the case of airborne allergies, I am apparently allergic to 3 things: Household Dust (to which I have a particularly bad reaction) and the pollen from Hickory and Walnut trees.
I'm so thankful I don't have a reaction to cats or dogs. I can't begin to tell you how I would have felt about that.
BUT. Ohmygod, the things we have to do to our house regarding dust. My stuffed monkey collection. The BOOKS. I have to find some way to keep everything clean, or it has to go. And we have SO MUCH clutter that needs to be sold or donated to goodwill.
My head is spinning just thinking about it. We're also trying to show the rental house, which also needs to be cleaned, and we're going on a Cruise for Dan's 40th birthday at the end of August. I'm absolutely overwhelmed with everything.
oh jeez, that is sucktastic. i feel for you guys.
i've probably been reading too many organizer's blogs and have drunk the kool-aide, but maybe you guys should consider hiring a professional organizer to help.
You might want to invest in a canister vac that is rated for allergies. Also, Swiffer dusters are great at picking up dust from book tops and spines. There are some good air filtration systems out now that also reduce the amount of dust in the home. The three best ways I've found to reduce dust in the home are vacuumed carpet or no carpet, clean pets or no pets, and making guests take off their shoes so street dust and dirt doesn't come into the spaces where you live. I have the same allergies, and I have to wonder if working for 15 years in libraries and now five years for a publisher didn't make them worse.