Spring in Wausau should mean enjoying warmer weather and enjoying more time outdoors. Instead, for many residents, it means dealing with pollen allergies.

If you have allergies, you know how miserable that pollen in your home can make you feel. The sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, sinus headaches and congestion can make everyday life miserable. If you have asthma, pollen can also lead to wheezing, chest tightness and breathing problems.

Your home should be an escape from all that. Unfortunately, pollen does not stay outside. It follows you indoors, causing poor indoor air quality in your Wausau home —and makes your allergies miserable.

The good news is, there are reliable ways to get rid of indoor pollen problems for good. A one-two punch of pollen season prep and professional indoor air quality solutions can eliminate your allergy problems so you can breathe clean, pollen-free air.

Why Pollen Is an Issue in Wausau, Wisconsin

Pollen spread from trees, grass and weeds is a common spring problem in Wausau. What is the connection between this pollen and poor indoor air quality?

It enters your home and collects in carpets, furniture, bedding and air ducts. Once inside, pollen can circulate in the air through a poorly filtered HVAC system. As it circulates, it can trigger allergy symptoms again and again.

How Pollen Sneaks Inside Your Home

Homeowners are often shocked to learn just how much pollen is in their home. It makes its way through open windows and doors, hitches a ride on your pets and even can be pulled in by an unfiltered HVAC system. Even if you keep your doors and windows closed, pollen still can get into your home. You can bring it in on your shoes and clothing. Poorly sealed doors and windows even allow pollen in.

Once inside, pollen spreads quickly through your Wausau home. Knowing how to how to reduce pollen in homes means preventing pollen from entering your home whenever possible and then filtering it from circulation when it does.

DIY Pollen Reduction Tips That Make A Difference

  • Swap out your HVAC filters frequently. Clean filters remove pollen and allergens from the air circulating in your home.
  • Leave windows closed on high pollen count days. Open windows allow high concentrations of pollen indoors.
  • Wash your hair and change clothes after being outside. Pollen sticks to your hair, skin and clothing, and you can spread that pollen onto your pillows, bedding and furniture
  • Vacuum with a HEPA filter. HEPA vacuums help capture tiny pollen particles hidden in carpets and furniture.
  • doormats and take off shoes. Shoes track pollen, dirt and other debris throughout your home.
  • Consistently groom pets. Pets bring pollen indoors on their fur, which they can then transfer to your bedding, carpets and furniture.

Upgrade Your HVAC System for Healthier, Cleaner Air

Your HVAC system can plays a major role in improving your home’s air quality.These professional, whole-home indoor air quality solutions reduce allergens, increase airflow and make your home feel better throughout allergy season.

High-Efficiency Air Filters

High-efficiency HVAC filters help trap particles like pollen, dust and pet dander from your home’s air. You can evaluate filters using MERV ratings, which are numbers that show how effectively a filter traps airborne particles. The higher the MERV rating, the more advanced filtration and smaller particles a filter is able to capture from the air. Many homeowners looking for the best air filters for allergies choose high-efficiency air filters because they minimize pollen and other airborne contaminants.

Whole-Home Air Purifiers

Whole-home air filtration systems work in conjunction with your HVAC system to clean the air in every room of your home. Unlike portable air purifiers that only filter one room, whole-home air purification systems continuously eliminate microscopic particles like pollen, dust and pet dander as air moves through your ductwork. This creates a comprehensive solution to your pollen problems.

Humidity Control

Spring humidity in Wausau can also trigger your allergies by encouraging mold and mildew growth. In most homes, your home's humidity should remain between 30-50 percent. Whole-home humidity control systems connect to your HVAC system to balance moisture levels throughout your house. In humid months, they eliminate excess moisture like a dehumidifier. In winter, they put moisture back into dry air. Unlike portable dehumidifiers that only work in one room, whole-home systems are a way toimprove indoor air quality in the spring in your full home.

UV Air Purification

UV air purification systems are an effective way to reduce mold spores, bacteria and certain viruses circulating through your HVAC system. Unlike filters that only trap particles like pollen and dust, UV systems also use ultraviolet light to target biological material.

When comparing an air purifier vs air filter for HVAC systems, remember that filters get rid of particles whiles purifiers have additional advanced technology to clean your air of other substances filters alone can’t address. When paired with filtration and humidity control, UV purification can help maintain cleaner, healthier air inside your home.

Signs Your Home Has Dirty Air

Common signs your home has poor indoor air quality include frequent allergy symptoms indoors like sneezing, coughing, congestion, headaches or red, itchy eyes. Other indicators of poor indoor air quality in your Wausau home include dust buildup quickly after cleaning, musty smells, poor airflow and rooms that feel stale or humid. If your symptoms improve when you leave the house, that’s a clear sign your indoor air may be the problem.

Professional IAQ Services That Reduce Pollen Allergies

DIY solutions can help reduce pollen indoors, but alone they don’t fully solve the problem. If you struggle with spring pollen allergies, even minor amounts of pollen can make you feel awful. That is where professional HVAC air quality solutions can help. An indoor air quality assessment detects allergens and pollutants in your home so an HVAC professional can recommend filtration or purification solutions to finally solve your pollen problem.

Other ways are available to remove other allergens in your home, such as duct cleaning. For allergies like pollen, dust and pet dander, cleaning debris out of your home’s air ducts can be a an effective way to reduce allergy problems. Seasonal HVAC maintenance also helps your system remove contaminants efficiently and also helps reduce avoidable repairs and lengthen the life of your system.

For many Wausau residents, professional services like filtration, purification, duct cleaning and humidity control finally provide the spring allergies home solutions they’ve been waiting for.

Get Ahead of Pollen Season in Wausau

Prevention and professional solutions are the best way to eliminate spring allergies. Do your part by following DIY tips to minimize pollen indoors. To fully solve your pollen problem, work with an HVAC professional like the team at Gilray Heating and Cooling. We have professional knowledge and high-quality tools to improve your indoor air quality, so you can breathe refreshing, pollen-free air all spring.

We also can keep levels in from becoming a problem in the first place with professional pollen season prep in Wausau. Schedule an IAQ consultation online or call 715-515-7221 today to schedule service with Gilray Heating and Cooling.