It’s finally spring in the Atlanta area. And for many of us, that means the beginning of annoying allergy symptoms.
You can make your home more comfortable for yourself and your family members by doing your best to keep pollen out of it. Here are some steps to reduce the pollen in your home.
Step 1. Keep pollen outside
Pollen gets in your home in a number of ways, including on your clothes, in your hair and even on your pet. Here are our tips for minimizing how much it gets in your home.
- Shut your windows – While opening your windows can be good for circulation, it also lets in outdoor pollutants like pollen that cause allergy symptoms.
- Take off your shoes and hat – Pollen can attach to anything you wear. To minimize how much gets carried inside, consider taking off your shoes and hat outside. You may also want to consider changing clothes when you get home from work.
- Wash your pets – Another common cause of pollen getting into your home is by hitching a ride on your pets’ fur. Wash them down when they come into the house.
Step 2. Wash, clean & vacuum
Once pollen is in your home, it can be continually cycled through your air, causing uncomfortable allergy symptoms. Experts recommend a few things to reduce the pollen circulating in your home.
- Shower at night – This gets all the pollen off of your body before you get in your bed.
- Wash your bed sheets – If you don’t shower at night, consider washing your bed sheets regularly to get rid of the pollen.
- Vacuum – Pollen can also get trapped in your carpet. Then, every time you walk over it, it is released back into your air. Use a vacuum with a good filter for the best results.
- Clean your air – Consider installing a whole-home air cleaner. These can remove as much as 99.98% of particles.
Step 3. Eat some of these things
Although experts caution that there isn’t enough data to show a direct correlation between what you eat and how it helps your allergy symptoms, there are some foods that supposedly can help. Check out this list of 8 foods to help sooth allergy symptoms.
Other useful tips
- Pollen counts are highest in the morning. So consider changing your schedule. (For example, take an evening jog instead of a morning jog.)
- Make note of pollen counts and stay inside when they’re high. The Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic offers a daily pollen count. And you can sign up for email alerts, also.
Ragsdale is dedicated to making your Atlanta-area home the most comfortable it can be. For more information contact us online.
