Marble, Marble Everywhere
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Marble floors
Everybody knows that hard surfaces help allergy sufferers as they don’t harbor dust mites and other offending pollens and danders. Of course, there are many options when it comes to hard flooring, but marble and onyx are the most luxurious options. If you want to be a tad more ecologically-minded about your hard-flooring choice, go for terrazzo, bamboo or ceramic tile.
Beachfront Living
Wouldn’t it figure that beach real estate is not only the most expensive, but also the best for allergy sufferers? Ocean breezes keep mold and pollen levels at significantly lower levels and the ocean mist acts as a naturally allergy cure while being devoid of ragweed and other flowering trees that are common allergens. Actually swimming in the salt water takes it one step further, giving relief to allergy sufferers in the form of saline water others have to buy in a bottle. One caveat: it must be on the ocean, waterfront homes on waterways may actually harbor more allergens in the form of mold.
Poodles and Portugese Water Dogs
You’ve heard of hypo-allergenic dogs. Well these dogs aren’t entirely allergy-free, but they don’t shed and leave hair for you to sneeze at all around. Just keep in mind that poodle crosses like Goldendoodles or Doodleman Pinchers are more likely to irritate. Instead, go for the original curly-coated dogs that started this whole thing, Poodles (we prefer the Standard variety, but to each his own) and Portuguese water dogs like Bo Obama. And if money is no object, you’ll certainly be able to afford twice-monthly trips to the beauty salon to keep Fifi beautiful and, you guessed it, allergy-free.
Cool Gadgets that Clean the Air
At first, Dyson made a very cool blade-less fan that was a wonder to everyone. Then, for the Dyson Pure Cool Air Filter, they went one step further and added a HEPA filter to both purify and cool the air. The filter removes 99.97% of the allergens in the air, including “ultra fine” ones as small as .3 microns. That means pretty much everything. Cooler still is the fact that it is not only wifi connected and can be controlled via smart phone, but can be set to turn on only when they air needs a big of cleaning. Turn it down in the winter to gently circulate and purify the air, and turn it up in the summer to offer up cool air all around the room. $499 at dyson.com
Conversely, those with deeper pockets can purchase the Klaus SeriesTM Limited Edition room air purifier, which is housed in a handcrafted and luxurious wood cabinet, carefully constructed by renowned master artisan Jim Ipekjian. The made-to-order Klaus Series Limited Edition features a pistachio burl finish and will retail for $2,500. 100% of net proceeds will be donated to IQAir’s Clean Air for Kids initiative. The Klaus Series is designed for those who demand pure, medical-grade air but also want an air purifier with beauty and elegance. The Klaus Series complements living spaces that feature architectural styles from contemporary to traditional. $2,500 www.iqair.com/klaus.
Steam Cleaners
Wealthy people usually know how to keep their homes really, really clean with the help of top-of-the-line equipment… and a full staff. The best one designed for home use is the Ladybug. It’s an Italian-made steam cleaner that gets hard floors, glass, and upholstery so clean you can eat off them. It’s also organic so no noxious chemicals get used—only dry steam heated to 340 degrees. Kill dust mites, bacteria and mold on the spot to give your mansion that deep-clean no amount of traditional cleaning can do. $2,155. Ladybug.com
