Even if you’re living in a winter wonderland now, spring will soon arrive in all its beauty. And while most of us love spring for its flowering plants, sunny skies, and warming weather, it also brings about dreaded allergens and allergy symptoms for many.
Use an Air Purifier
There’s never a wrong season to use an air purifier. Even in the winter, you can improve indoor air quality and reduce allergens by using a high-quality air purifier. If you can’t have one installed in your HVAC unit, you can use a portable stand-alone model. They come in a variety of sizes, even table-top size for small areas.
Furthermore, make sure the air purifier comes with a high-quality air filter, preferably a HEPA filter. Keep in mind that if you have pets, you may need to change the filter more often. Also, if you smoke indoors or live in an area with sandy soil, you will need to swap out the filter more often as well.
Schedule HVAC Maintenance
If you usually have your HVAC serviced before winter and summer, move your summer cleaning to the beginning of spring. An HVAC contractor can inspect your system, ductwork, and outside unit to ensure it’s working properly. They can also change the air filter and clean the vents and ductwork to keep household allergens to a minimum. If your HVAC needs serviced, you can schedule it now to avoid long waiting times or even more expensive service calls.
Clean More
Keeping your home clean is a great way to minimize allergens. However, sometimes you may have to go the extra mile. Allergens like dust can linger in the air and cause allergy symptoms, especially in the spring. Dusting more and vacuuming more frequently can help prevent allergen buildup.
Groom Your Pets
You can also minimize allergens by grooming your pets more often. Even bird feathers can trigger allergies for some as can non-shed breeds of dogs. Although they are considered hypoallergenic, dogs that don’t shed still have dander. For this reason, it’s important to groom pets at least once a month, unless your vet suggests a different schedule. When weather permits, you should also do your pet grooming outdoors, even if you have a cat. This allows for easier clean up and allows your pet to dry outdoors.
Minimizing airborne allergens year round can help prevent seasonal allergy issues in the spring. Start early and prep your home now, so you’re ready before the first spring flowers bloom.
