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Fall allergy season with kids: what actually helps
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items Ragweed starts up in mid August and by the first week of school both of my kids are sneezing through homework. This is what actually earned a spot in our house after a few seasons of trial and error, with the honest annoyance of each one included. If...
Our pediatrician had us start this about two weeks before ragweed usually hits instead of waiting for the sneezing, and that timing change did more than the medicine ever did on its own. One dose at bedtime for both kids, no fights. The bubble gum fl...
Children's Zyrtec Liquid Allergy Syrup, Free of Dyes, Sugar, Alcohol, Bubble Gum Flavor, 4 fl. oz
This is the store brand version of Flonase and it costs about a third as much for the same fluticasone. It took me four or five days of using it every morning before I noticed anything, which almost made me quit early. Aim it toward the outside of yo...
Equate Fluticasone Propionate Nasal Allergy Relief Spray, 50 mcg, Non-Drowsy, 72 Metered Sprays
This is what I use on my youngest before bed to rinse out whatever she brought home from recess, because I do not want her on medicine every single night. It is saline with a little aloe, so there is nothing to get wrong with dosing and it does not s...
Zarbee’s Soothing Saline Nasal Mist with Aloe for All Ages, 3 fl. oz
Itchy eyes are the ragweed symptom nobody warns you about, and this is the one that finally stopped my daughter rubbing hers raw at soccer practice. One drop each morning, approved down to age two. It stings for about three seconds and she tells me a...
Pataday Extra Strength Eye Allergy Itch Relief Drops, 2.5 mL Twin Pack, Once Daily
I run this in my daughter's room on low from dinner until morning and her stuffy mornings noticeably improved within about a week. It is quiet enough that she sleeps right through it. The filters are a real recurring cost though, around thirty dollar...
LEVOIT Core 300 Air Purifier, H13 HEPA, Quiet
The zipper is the whole point here, because it actually seals the mattress instead of just lying on top like a fitted sheet. Ours has been through two years of washes without tearing at the corners. It does make a faint crinkle sound the first few we...
AllerEase Maximum Mattress Cover Protector, Queen - Zippered, Waterproof, Allergen Barrier
The six foot handle is what made this worth buying, because the dust that actually sets off my son lives on the ceiling fan blades and the tops of the door frames. The refills trap it instead of pushing it around the room. Refills are not cheap and y...
Swiffer Duster Kit with 6 ft Super Extendable Handle, Heavy Duty Starter Kit with 4 Refills
I run this over the stair edges and the couch cushions twice a week from August on, which is exactly the stuff my regular vacuum never touches. It lives on a wall mount by the back door so I actually use it instead of forgetting it. The battery gives...
Black+Decker Dustbuster AdvancedClean Cordless Vacuum
Swapping the cheap fiberglass furnace filter for a MERV 13 was the single cheapest thing that made the whole house feel less sneezy in September. Measure the filter already in your furnace before you order, because I got the size wrong the first time...
Filtrete 20x25x1 MERV 13 Air Filter 4-Pack
I switched the whole house to this the fall my son kept waking up itchy and it stopped within about two weeks. No dye, no fragrance, and the concentrated bottle is small enough that it does not hog the shelf above the washer. It does almost nothing o...
all Free Clear Liquid Laundry Detergent, 50 oz, 66 Loads
Most of the pollen in my house walked in on shoes, and a mat that actually fits in the washer was the fix I should have made years ago. It lays flat enough that the storm door still closes over it. It sheds a little lint the first two washes, and the...
PABUBE Doormat for Inside 17"x30", Door Rug for Entryway Indoor, Dirt Trapper, Non Slip Entryway Rugs Washable Welcome Mat for Inside, Absorbent Entry Mat Low-Profile Entry Rug Indoor Doormat, Khaki
I keep this in the fridge from August through October for the mornings my eyes are so puffy that makeup is pointless. Ten minutes and I look like a person again before school drop off. It only stays cold for about fifteen minutes, so it is a quick fi...
MyHalos Cooling Gel Eye Mask for Puffy Eyes
These sit close to my son's face, which keeps a lot more pollen out of his eyes at recess than the flat pair he had before. They survived a whole spring loose in a backpack without scratching up. The ages eight to sixteen sizing runs big, so if your ...
DUCO Kids Polarized Sports Sunglasses UV
Fall is mold season too, not just ragweed, and in our house that shows up in the basement where the kids keep their bikes and craft bins. This little one pulls enough water out of that room to matter and it is small enough to sit on a shelf. There is...
Pro Breeze Mini Electric Dehumidifier 2200 cu ft
These live in the car and both backpacks from mid August on, so hands and faces get wiped before anyone rubs their eyes on the ride home from practice. Fragrance free, so they do not sting a kid who already has a raw nose. The canisters dry out fast ...
(4 pack) Wet Ones Sensitive Skin Hand Wipes, Fragrance Free, Unscented, 40 Ct Canister, Hypoallergenic