Tips for a pollen-free home
What can you do to keep your house a pollen-free zone? While it may not be possible to banish it from your home entirely, these steps will certainly help...
1. Keep windows closed as much as possible
Pollen can waft indoors through open windows, so it’s advisable to keep them closed as much as possible during pollen season. Naturally, nobody wants a stuffy house, and you may need to let some air through occasionally - but be savvy with your timings to minimise pollen infiltration. Keep an eye on daily pollen forecasts, so you can judge when it’s best to let some air through.
2. Wash curtains and fabric covers
Despite your best efforts, there’s still a good chance some pollen will get into your home – so it’s a good idea to wash your curtains, along with any removable sofa or cushion covers. There’s no set rule as to how often you should do this, but if your symptoms are flaring up while you’re at home, a thorough top-to-toe clean is probably in order!
3.
Don’t hang laundry to dry outdoors
Sure, being able to hang washing out to dry in the garden during spring and summer is super-convenient, but for hay fever sufferers, it’s a no-no, as by the time it’s dry, your laundry could be coated in pollen.
4.
Invest in an air purifier
So you’re keeping the windows closed more than you’d ideally like and your laundry has to be dried indoors – it’s not exactly a recipe for a nice, airy indoor environment, is it? Investing in a quality air purifier could be a good bet if your symptoms are troublesome.
5. De-pollen your pets before they come indoors
Got a dog or cat that spends time outdoors? Pollen can stick to their fur, so to prevent them traipsing this all over your house (and transferring it to your sofa, carpets and bedding), Allergy UK recommends wiping their coats with a damp microfibre cloth before they come in.
6. Up your vacuuming game
Being a bit more gung-ho with your vacuuming is a good idea during pollen season. And don’t just do the floors; run the vacuum cleaner across soft furnishings, sofas, cushions, curtains and beds if required too.
7. Avoid mowing the lawn
This might sound like a no-brainer, but if you’ve got hay fever, you probably want to avoid gardening – particularly mowing the lawn and raking leaves – during pollen season. If you really can’t put these tasks on hold, or rope in somebody else to do them, then at least wear a filtration mask.