If you have asthma or allergies, spring cleaning can be a Catch-22. Attack your tasks with full fervor, and you risk bringing on sneezing, coughing and all your other symptoms; ignore a dusty house, and you'll eventually do the same thing. So how do you safely remove dirt, dust, and dust mites (microscopic bugs that produce waste products that can cause allergic reactions)?

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America offers these suggestions:

• Use a damp or treated cloth for dusting
• Wear a filtering mask when dusting or vacuuming (available at many drug stores)
• Leave the house after dusting and vacuuming to allow the residual dust to settle
• Consider getting special filters for your vacuum cleaner that keep dust and dust mites from circulating back into the air (specialty vacuum stores carry them)

After you've finished your big clean-up, try these steps to keep the allergens to a minimum:

• Dust mites thrive in temperatures of 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity levels of 70 to 80 percent. To make your home as inhospitable as possible to these unwanted guests, use a dehumidifier or air conditioner to maintain the humidity below 50 percent.
• Pay special attention to your bedroom, where most dust mites live. Encase your mattresses and pillows in airtight, allergen-proof covers, found at allergy supply companies or many bedding stores. These covers are made of a material that is impermeable to dust mites. Wash your bed linens in hot water (at least 130 degrees F) every week. Also, try to avoid wall-to-wall carpeting, blinds, wool blankets, upholstered furniture, and down-filled covers and pillows in the bedroom.
• Keep your pets out of the bedroom and off the furniture.

Remember, dust and dirt lurks even in the most spotless house, but these simple steps can keep you breathing easy!