Allergies tend to be considered worse in the spring. However, this is simply because pollen is at its highest then, boosting the number of people with allergy issues.
The truth is that allergies can happen all year round, they may not even be connected to pollen. In fact, one of the most common allergies is dust mites. That’s just one of any indoor issues you could be facing. The good news is that you can take steps to control, reduce, and even eliminate allergens indoors.
Potential sources of indoor allergens include pets, carpeting, stuffed toys, bedding, and soft furnishings, mattresses, indoor plants, and even your settees and other furniture.
The truth is you need these things to be comfortable at home. That’s why you need to take alternate steps to fight the allergens.
Move Cities
This isn’t an option for most people as you probably like where you live and need to live fairly close to work. However, studies show that Melbourne is the worst city in Australia for allergies. One way of resolving this issue is to move out of the city.
Air Conditioning
A more practical approach is to install an air conditioning system or have an existing system serviced and maintained. It doesn’t matter f you’re in an office and need industrial air conditioning, or a smaller and easier to manage home system.
The fact is that air conditioning is necessary to deal with the heat in the hot summer months. Unfortunately, a good system will bring in air from outside and circulate the air inside. The result is any allergens in or out of your building will be distributed more evenly. That increases the likelihood of you having an allergic reaction.
However, a properly working system will have an HVAC filter. All air has to pass through this before being chilled. The filter removes allergens, giving you clean air that you can enjoy breathing and stop sneezing, coughing, and ‘enjoying’ other allergic reactions.
Vacuuming
To help your air conditioner it’s a good idea to vacuum and clean all the surfaces in your home at least twice a week. The best idea is to wipe all surfaces down with a damp cloth first. The cloth can be thrown away or washed afterward.
Then mop any hard floors with a slightly damp mop to attract dust rather than simply move it around. You can then finish with the vacuum. However, your vacuum must have a decent filter system, preferably an HVAC filter. The vacuum should be certified as asthma and allergy-friendly, this means it will remove the allergens and not simply put them into the air.
Wash Everything
Any soft furnishings in your home should be washed at least once a week. This will remove the dust mites and other allergens that are giving you an issue.
Don’t forget that pet dander can be one of the worst issues for allergy sufferers. To help keep the pets out of your bedroom and brush them regularly, but do it outside.