There are many great things that come with spring, including warmer weather and the opportunity to spend more time outside. But one item that can throw a wrench into enjoying the season is the presence of allergens. From runny noses to itchy eyes, seasonal allergies can be an annoyance to any of your family members. And when you wake up with these symptoms instead of feeling like you’ve had a restful night’s sleep, you’re going to want identify a solution.
And while we typically think of the outdoors when it comes to allergy season, allergens can exist within the home. Many homeowners have become increasingly interested in their indoor air quality and the impact on the home’s occupants. However, while it’s tough to remove those allergens from the outdoors, there are steps you can take to decrease these contaminants in your home.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) identifies the following as the main sources of indoor allergens:
- Pets
- Wall-to-wall carpet
- Soft furniture
- Stuffed toys
- Bedding
- Damp areas
- Indoor plants
- Mattresses that aren’t in allergy covers
- Pillows and bedding you can’t wash in hot water
The AAFA also provides a few steps to help you reduce allergens in your home.
- Put plastic covers on the mattresses and pillows.
- Wash your bedding every week.
- Vacuum once or twice during the week.
- Cover your garbage cans.
- Keep pets out of the bedroom.
- Close the windows and doors to keep pollen from entering the home.
Keeping your home clean and lowering the opportunity for dust, pollen and other contaminants to enter the home will go a long way to enhancing your home comfort. Put a plan in place so that you can prepare your home and get back to enjoying the warmer temperatures.
Don’t make this allergy season more challenging than it needs to be. If you would like additional information on how you can enhance your home comfort with purification or filtration systems, or if you have any questions on how to address the quality of air in your house, give Gilray Heating and Cooling a call at 715-301-0727 to speak with one of our experts.