Summer Showers Bring All the Allergies
For allergy sufferers, as great as spring and summer can be, it’s also the season of stuffy noses, sneezing, and itchy eyes. If you’re a homeowner and you’re sick of suffering from those tell-tale allergy symptoms when you’re just hanging out in your house, we’ve got some good news for you. While allergens, unfortunately, aren’t just restricted to the outdoors, there are things you can do to lessen their impact inside your home. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Upgrade Your Vacuum
Depending on your home’s needs, or how long you’ve had your vacuum, an upgrade here can make a difference. If you have pets, ensuring you have a vacuum that can keep up with the accumulation of fur, hair and pet dander is a big deal. It’s also a good idea to run the furnace fan while you vacuum, so the filter in your home’s air circulation system can catch any dust that becomes airborne in the process, taking it out of circulation rather than letting it settle right back down where it can potentially irritate you long after the vacuum’s been put away.
Change That Furnace Filter!
If we’ve said it once, we’ll say it a hundred times more: It is crucial that you clean or change the filter in your furnace or air handler on a regular basis. If you have central air conditioning, this can have a huge positive impact on cooling performance during the summer. A similar case can also be made for heating performance during the winter. And just as importantly for many people at this time of year, a clean, fresh filter can help you breath easier when you’re chilling out indoors.
We’ve discussed how the frequency of filter servicing can vary widely, depending on things like the type of filter, your system, and frequency of use, among others. Some homes or systems may require filter maintenance as often as once a month during regular use, while other types of filters may only need replacing every six to twelve months. If you suffer from seasonal allergies and already keep your home closed up for the air conditioning season, do yourself a favor and learn about high efficiency central filter options that can help make your indoors a downright haven from the pollen outdoors.
Keep Mold at Bay
Mold is a no-no for many reasons, and its potential to trigger or aggravate your allergies is definitely on the list. Deep cleaning your bathrooms regularly and using an old toothbrush to scrub the grout and in between any tile work you may have is key here. Keeping mold at bay not only helps keep your allergies at bay, it also keeps your home safer in general for your family, even for those without seasonal allergies to worry about. Read on, and learn more about air purification systems that can also help reduce the risk of mold.
Go Carpetless
Let’s be honest. Carpet traps everything. From crumbs to dust to pet hair and more, even if you vacuum regularly, carpeting can be a hiding place for a lot of allergens that will have you itchy and sneezy in no time. It’s not always a viable option, and for some it will simply come down to a choice of style, but if it’s something you’ve considered and you suffer from those allergy sniffles and watery eyes, going carpet-less can make a big impact. Nowadays, there are some reasonably priced wood flooring options out there, especially if you can rock the DIY life on installation.
Improve Your IAQ
Whether to help address specific allergy symptoms indoors, or if you desire to upgrade the indoor air quality (IAQ) in your home in general, combining an air purification system with a high quality air filter can potentially make a world of difference for your indoor breathing comfort, as well as your health. There are a variety of of centrally installed products out there, some of which address a broad range of airborne allergens and health triggers. We recommend taking the time to learn about your options so that you can make an informed decision that’s in the best interests of your family, and the best fit for your home and system.
It might seem like seasonal and year-round allergies are near impossible to overcome, at times, but you don’t always have to suffer in silence! There are some adjustments that you can consider making in your world – in particular, inside your home – to help alleviate those annoying conditions. In the Denver-Boulder area, if you have questions about maintenance for your furnace filter, or would like to learn more about high efficiency filters and air purification systems, we’d love to help. Give us a call or schedule an appointment today.
