If you're among the estimated 36 million Americans who suffer from asthma or allergies, take a deep breath.

One of the leading causes of trouble — the air quality inside your home — can be mitigated or even eliminated by lessening indoor pollutants caused by contaminants such as chemicals or radon.

Elissa Eubanks/Staff (ENLARGE)

Karen Patten (left) and Patty Hall take in facts about the $1.9 million ÒHealth House,Ó built by McConnell Homes.

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There are more than two dozen things consumers can do to reduce those contaminants, according to the American Lung Association. The measures are embodied in a $1.9 million, 6,600-square-foot home in Atlanta's Virginia-Highland neighborhood that happens to be the first allergy-free home in the Southeast certified by the lung association for meeting healthy-home standards.

Whether you're building a new home, renovating an existing one or maintaining what you already have, here are some of the steps you can take to clear the air:

• Keep mold at bay by keeping damp basements dry. Mold also grows in the soil of houseplants that have been overwatered. If that happens, repot the plants or move them outside.

• Be mindful that pet dander aggravates allergies. Limit your pet's access to the carpeted areas of the home. Groom pets and wash their bedding often to remove dander.

• Fight dust. Instead of dry mopping or dusting, which just scatters dust in the air, use a damp cloth or mop instead. Install shades or blinds made of plastic or washable material that can be easily cleaned.

• Choose smooth flooring such as tile, wood or vinyl over wall-to-wall carpet. If you insist on carpet, select one with a short nap, or an area rug that can be cleaned easily.

• Don't give feather pillows or down comforters to family members who suffer from asthma or allergies. Wash bed linens weekly in hot water and use allergen-resistant covers on items that can't be washed, such as mattresses.

• Install exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathrooms to eliminate moisture. Use a dehumidifier in damp basements to reduce condensation.

• Prevent water from entering the home around windows and vents by caulking cracks.

• Direct runoff from the roof away from the foundation of the home. Downspouts should be angled at a 5 percent slope and empty away from the foundation.

• Make sure boilers, furnaces, stoves and fireplaces are properly vented to prevent hazardous gases from seeping into the house. Check flues and chimneys for cracks.

• Avoid using cleaning products, paint, solvents and pesticides that emit hazardous vapors. Use low-toxicity products instead. Products with volatile materials, such as wood glue or metal cleaner, should be used outside or in a well-ventilated garage.

• Air dry-cleaned clothing outside before bringing it into the house.

• Vacuum more efficiently with a central vacuum system that has the central receptacle outside or in the garage. Many conventional vacuums lift dust and put it back into the air.

Source: American Lung Association Health House program. For more tips, visit www.healthhouse.org or www.lungusa.org.