After several months of cool winter weather, spring is finally here, and most of us are doing our best to get outdoors and enjoy some of nature’s beauty. Yet, with social distancing in effect, we find ourselves in our homes far more than we’ve ever been. When those springtime allergies are at their worst, all you want to do is crawl into your bed, hoping for some relief! But many homeowners are noticing that their allergy symptoms don’t improve once they’re in their house, in fact, many are finding that their symptoms are actually worse inside!
So if your home is where you’re supposed to feel the most comfortable, how do you get itchy, watery eyes, running nose, and incessant sneezing to stop at your door? Here are 3 simple tips to improve your indoor air quality and help bring you relief from your warm-weather allergy symptoms, while also improving your health all year long.
1. Keep Things Clean
While most homeowners work to keep their homes tidy, sometimes it can be difficult to find the time to perform a good cleaning. During allergy season, though, it’s important to make the time to really clear out dust and allergens from your space.
Some simple ways to keep toxic spores at bay is to vacuum daily, dust your surfaces regularly, change your sheets at least once a week, and wash blankets that are used often in your living room. If you have pets, be sure to brush their coats and bathe them, or use pet-cleaning wipes to clear off pollen from their coats after they’ve been outdoors.
2. Change Your HVAC Filters
Although it’s tempting to open the windows and let the spring air fill your home, don’t do it! It’s better to turn on your air conditioning to prevent pollen from entering through your windows. With that being said, if your HVAC filters aren’t clean, they’re allowing pollen pulled from the air outside to be distributed through the air and onto surfaces you touch regularly.
Changing your HVAC filter is necessary for your system to run effectively, and depending on your filter, it should be changed every three months. For additional protection, consider switching from store-brand filters to a finer filtration system, like EnviroAire IAQ’s 1-inch polarized media air cleaners. These filters are designed to trap far more than average filters can, and they fit in your HVAC system’s current filter track.
3. Duct Cleaning
Your duct system is located in the ceilings above you, taking conditioned air throughout the home and delivering it into each room. Do you know the last time the inside of your ducts were cleaned?
If the answer is no, or if it’s been over five years, you NEED to get your ducts cleaned! Over time, ducts become layered with dust, grime, and debris that are released into your home from your supply registers. This can aggravate your allergy symptoms. Ducts can also easily become infested with vermin, adding a whole new health reason to clear those ducts out!
These tips, coupled with over-the-counter allergy medications and eye drops, can help allergy sufferers breathe easier and be more comfortable this season! Call on F.H. Furr’s trusted HVAC technicians to help you improve your indoor air quality this spring!
