Winter will be here soon – a season many people hate. Not because of the cold weather, but mostly because it is also deemed as the allergy season. You and/or your family may experience allergies like runny nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing. While drugs like antihistamine can help you with your allergy, there are other steps you can take to minimize or limit these problems. So if you are wondering how you can keep your allergies from flaring up, here are 5 easy steps you can take to efficiently reduce allergens and feel a lot better this season.
1. Declutter the house to limit the mess
This step is like hitting two birds with only one stone because you can not only make your place look better by decluttering, it can also reduce the things where allergen can hide. Start by throwing away old newspapers, unused magazines and books, empty boxes, and cleaning dirty clothes and towels. These things could be a dust haven that can stimulate your allergies. After removing those excessive things, make sure you vacuum the floors and make sure to regularly do this so allergens won’t take over your home.
2. Clean or replace air filters
Once you have settled all the dust and dirt on the floor and on your things, you might want to focus next on the air. If you do not want to shower from dirt, clean or replace the air filter of your HVAC. You should ask your HVAC professional: how often should I change my furnace filter? Filters get clogged by dust, pollen, debris particles, and other allergens. Also, neglecting this step will result to a steady decline in your HVAC performance while energy use steadily increases. Additionally, you should also clean the blades of your electric fans to limit potential allergens.
3. Have your air ducts sealed
Your air ducts, if sealed properly, can really limit the flare-up of allergens. If there is an opening, allergens are free to come in and infiltrate the air that you breathe. Try to check if there are any leaks and if you find any, Google “hvac contractor near me” and seek professional help to ensure that there will be no unwanted opening in your ducts. Not only it will help you and your family avoid allergies, but it will also help you keep the treated air inside of your space. If you still have allergies, consult a health professional to determine what treatment is appropriate for your condition.
4. Weed out Garden Allergens
Plants can be the primary source of your sneezing and other allergies. Especially if you are the one maintaining your garden, you will be more prone to suffering from allergy. According to statistics, 24 million Americans are affected by allergies triggered by pollens, and the number is getting worse! There are plants that are treated as the worst garden plants for allergic individuals, they are the Catalpa plant, Weeping Bottlebrush, White Mulberry, Queen’s Anne Lace, and Bermuda Grass. If you currently have these plants and trees, you might want to replace them. A good substitute for these plants are foxglove, hostas, blueberries, plum, snapdragons, and the like.
5. Revamp your house with resistance
While it is true that carpet, rugs, bed sheets, mattress, blankets, pillows, and curtains can make your house more beautiful, they can also worsen your allergy. But do not worry, there are other ways to redecorate your house, keep it beautiful, and at the same time keep allergens away. For instance, remove the decorations that are fibrous like those which are mentioned above. Replace your curtains with blinds, put wooden floor or tiles instead of carpet. If you cannot live without them, make sure you are vacuuming regularly, dusting and cleaning your carpets, pillows, sofa, and other upholstered items to keep unwanted particles away from you and your family.
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