Allergies are a common complaint in northern California, especially this year with all the rain storms followed by hot weather. Rain results in plant growth, then hot, dry, windy weather concentrates and spreads pollen.
Instead of just taking antihistamines to treat your allergy symptoms, you might want to proactively make changes to your environment to reduce the allergens that you are being exposed to on a daily basis. Some things you can do are:
- Keep your bed sheets, pillows, and stuffed animals clean – dust mites love to live in these items and are a major cause of indoor allergies. You can kill the dust mites by washing all of your bedding items once a week in hot water and drying them in a hot dryer.
- Wear sunglasses – sunglasses will block pollen from blowing into your eyes. Not only that but they help shield your eyes from harmful UV sun rays.
- Clean windows, curtains, and blinds – these areas are sources to the outside and therefore can easily build up with dust and pollen. Be sure to use a microfiber cloth or wet cloth to clean these surfaces so you don’t spread the particles back into the air.
- Control outdoor air – wear a mask if you work outside and change your clothes as soon as you get home. You might want to shower to remove any pollen from your body and hair. Also, keep your windows and doors closed during high pollen count days and rely on your air conditioner or dehumidifier to protect you from indoor allergies.
- Control indoor air – if you are going to have your windows and doors closed, you will need to make adjustments to improve your indoor air quality.
- Vacuum dust under furniture and return vents.
- Keep the air that circulates through your home’s ventilation system clean by using filters with a MERV rating of 11 or 12.
- Check your filter every month and change it when it is dirty.
- Make sure to control the humidity in your home to keep it at 50 percent to prevent mold.
- Don’t smoke in the home and avoid wood fires and wood-burning stoves.
- Avoid strong odors such as perfumes, scented candles, hair sprays, disinfectants, and air fresheners.
Allergies are a pain and can definitely affect the quality of your life. Right Now Air & Solar is here to help you achieve optimal indoor air quality to help reduce your allergy symptoms. Call us at (707) 240-8777 to find out how!