As the snow melts away and the trees start to bloom, kids start getting excited to run outside. As a mum, you might be equally excited to get them out of the house but are also nervous about spring allergies. Spring means pollen and a thin layer of yellow spread all over the ground. It also means runny noses, itchy eyes, and inflamed sinuses. While you can’t control what’s outside, you can limit what’s inside. Here are four ways to limit the spread of pollen inside.
Keep Your HVAC System Clean
Air gets pumped throughout the house whenever you turn your heat or air conditioning on. The dirtier your filter and system gets, the more dust and pollen gets pushed around. During the spring, it’s especially important to rely on professional Portland air duct cleaning to regularly clean your HVAC system and replace the filters. This way, they will spend more time trapping the pollen instead of pushing it through the house.
If you have particularly allergy-prone kids (especially with indoor allergies), consider HVAC zoning for your house. HVAC zoning is healthier than central air conditioning and more energy-efficient, too.
Show Off Your Hardwood Floors
April showers bring May flowers, but April showers also bring muddy footprints all through your home. While it’s not practical advice to remove your carpet for the spring, it’s possible to limit pollen and mess by rolling up area rugs that cover hardwood floors. These rugs tend to collect dust and pollen — even when you vacuum regularly. Instead, show off your wood floors, which are easier to clean and less likely to trap pollen.
Keep a Set of Clothes for the Outdoors
Take advantage of your mud room, laundry room, or garage to create a changing area from outdoor clothes to indoor clothes. Ask your kids to remove their shoes before they come inside (this will also reduce the amount of dirt tracked through your home), along with their jackets or sweaters. This will keep any pollen on them outside — at least on their clothes. When your child does come inside, ask them to wash their hands so anything they touch doesn’t get covered in allergens as well.
Don’t Forget the Nooks and Crannies When Cleaning
There are plenty of secret nooks and crannies around your house that collect dust. These might include the arms of your ceiling fans, the blinds or curtains, and the baseboards. While you think these look fine, they’re actually covered in a fine layer of dust, giving them a brownish hue. When you start Spring Cleaning, remember to hit these tricky areas where dust likes to hide. This will also help you find hidden spots where pollen likes to settle so you can remove it from the house.
It can seem impossible to pollen-proof your house for Spring, but these steps will help you remove as much pollen as possible. The last thing you want when you come home is to feel just as miserable as you do outside, so take these preventative measures to ensure that you can breathe deeply all the way through June.