Spring in Iowa is a time of rebirth with spring cleaning, rising temperatures, and blooming flowers, but with that comes pollen and dust—the two leading causes of seasonal allergies. If you’re experiencing itchy eyes or a runny nose, you might be suffering from allergies even if those allergens haven’t affected you before. People can develop allergies at any age, and with nearly 18 million U.S. adults suffering from seasonal allergies, there’s a high chance it could be causing your symptoms.
You might already be taking allergy medication and staying indoors to improve your symptoms, but you need to make sure your home isn’t making them worse. Follow our tips to improve your indoor air quality and reduce your seasonal allergies.
What You Can Do to Reduce Your Seasonal Allergies
Clean Your Home
This seems like a no-brainer, but it’s a key step to ensure pollen doesn’t follow you inside. Regular dusting and vacuuming can eliminate any dust or pollen trapped inside your home. Important areas to clean regularly include:
- Registers and air vents
- Entryways
- Curtains and blinds
While dusting, it’s critical to use a damp cloth or a microfiber cloth. This will remove the dust or pollen particles instead of spreading them around or putting them back into the air.
Change Your Air Filters
Air filters are designed to keep pollution like dust and pollen from entering your home. You should replace your air filter every two to three months anyway, but it’s especially important to clean or replace them during allergy season.
For people who suffer from seasonal allergies, we recommend choosing high-efficiency filters. Filters are measured by their efficiency values, also known as MERVs, on a scale of 1 to 16, with 16 being the best quality. We recommend choosing an air filter with a rating between 9-12 to filter out dust, dander, and pollen.
Run Your AC System to Circulate Air
Air conditioners do more than just keep you feeling cool—they circulate the air throughout your home, bringing fresh air inside. Even if the temperature inside is fine, running the AC can help alleviate allergies as long as your system is properly cleaned with the right filter. You don’t have to run it all day, but even running it for a short 20-minute window will help your airflow.
Bathe and Brush Your Pets Regularly
You don’t have to be allergic to pet dander for your pets to trigger your allergies. When the pollen is high, it can stick to you and your pets. Just like you regularly shower and wash your clothes, you should brush and bathe your pets more often during allergy season so they don’t carry pollen into your home.
How an HVAC Expert Can Improve Allergy Symptoms
Clean Your HVAC System
Cleaning your home isn’t enough if your HVAC system itself isn’t clean. Changing the filter is a key step to ensure it’s filtering in clean air, but it’s also important to clean the system itself. Air ducts can build up dirt and dust in your system over time, then your ducts push that debris out when your system turns on. Schedule regular cleanings with Wyckoff to make sure your system is pushing out clean air.
Install a UV Light
Adding an ultraviolet light to your HVAC system will sanitize your air by killing mold, bacteria, and viruses. This purifies your air from indoor air pollutants, taking the extra step to keep your air clean and help with seasonal allergies.
Get a Dehumidifier
Dust and other allergens flourish in moist conditions. Running your AC helps take the moisture out of your air, but a dehumidifier ensures the moisture level is well regulated within your home. A dehumidifier can also prevent mold growth. Mold can cause the same symptoms as outdoor pollen does from seasonal allergies, so it’s important to keep your humidity levels in check.
Improve Your Indoor Air Quality with Wyckoff Heating & Cooling
Your home should be your safe haven, so it’s important to feel comfortable inside during allergy season. Contact us to learn how our services could help reduce your allergy symptoms and help you enjoy the indoors.