One of the best gifts you can give yourself if you suffer from allergies, seasonal or otherwise, is to improve indoor air quality St. Petersburg area home and consider adding an air cleaner to your home comfort system. You can more easily avoid avoid pollen and outdoor allergens in your controlled indoor environment, but still face allergens like dust mites, animal dander and insects which often trigger allergy symptoms. Improve your IAQ to reduce allergy and asthma symptoms. Here are some strategies for a sneeze-less spring allergy season:
Reduce Exposure to Allergy Season Triggers
- Close windows and doors at night and early morning when pollen counts are highest, and set your air conditioner on recirculate.
- Avoiding pets entirely cuts your risk of allergy flares, but the next best thing is keeping a short-haired pet and shampooing him/her often. Keep your pet out of the bedroom if possible.
- Avoid carpets and overstuffed furniture. Choose hardwood floors and sleeker furnishings when possible.
- Keep household surfaces clean and uncluttered.
- Encase mattresses and pillows in zippered, allergy-reducing covers.
- Wash bedding often in hot water.
- Get annual HVAC maintenance to help keep heating and cooling equipment clean and running properly.
- Clean floors/furnishings often with a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner and/or special double filter bags.
- Wear a dust mask while cleaning your house.
- Use a damp or specially treated cloth when dusting.
- Leave the area for a few hours after housecleaning.
- Limit houseplants.
- Fix household leaks promptly and eliminate other causes of dampness.
- Thoroughly clean moldy surfaces.
- Control ants and cockroaches. Securely cover your garbage can. Opt for boric acid traps and poison baits, rather than chemical agents that can worsen your allergies and asthma flare-ups.
Keep Indoor Air Clean
- Use air conditioning with high-efficiency air filters compatible with your system. Change the air filter often.
- Some homes may benefit from duct cleaning.
- Keep indoor air dry and cleaner by using a whole-house dehumidifier and air cleaner, integrated with your central A/C. You’ll have cleaner air and inhibit dust mite and mold growth.
To learn more about how improve your IAQ to survive allergy season, contact Cox Air Conditioning & Heating today!
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