When the snow is gone and it’s time to give your yard a good clean, these tips can help keep sneaky springtime allergens at bay.
April showers bring May flowers—and pesky allergens that can make outdoor spring cleaning a pain. Even though you don’t have control over the allergens outside, you can reduce the amount that invades your indoor air. Follow these spring yard cleanup tips before you start.
Start by planning your yard work around the pollen count. Pollen count is measured by the amount of pollen particles in one cubic meter of air, and measured on a scale of “low” to “very high.” Before you head outside, you can check the levels in your area here. If the pollen count is “high” or “very high,” consider saving your yard work for another day.
The clothes you wear outdoors can help lessen the allergens you bring back inside once you’re finished working. Tucking your hair into a hat can help keep particles from settling on your head (and ending up on your pillowcase later on).
If you have any microfiber or vinyl clothing, wear it—some high-quality microfiber materials and vinyls can keep pollen from touching your skin.1 Before you come back inside, take off jackets and boots and leave them in a mudroom or outside to dry, especially if you’ve been handling wet leaves or grass. Change out of all other clothes as soon as you can, and get them in the wash right away.
It might sound strange, but the more often you clean up your yard, the fewer allergens you’ll have to deal with. Since pollen and mold like to stick to damp surfaces, raking and mowing your lawn frequently gives allergens fewer places to settle down.
As tempting as it might be to open the windows and let the cool spring breeze inside while you work in the yard, it’s best to keep them sealed. When you rake wet leaves and mow the lawn, allergens get kicked up into the air and can easily make their way into your home if the windows are open.
Naturally, some allergens will sneak in the house after your spring yard cleanup is finished for the day. Air Filters and Air Purifiers can help capture and filter those particles out of your indoor air. Before you start your spring cleaning, replace your furnace filter with a fresh one. The higher the MPR, the more particles the filter can capture. Filtrete™ Smart Filters at MPR 1500 come equipped with a sensor that connects to the Filtrete™ Smart App via BluetoothⓇ, letting you know when it’s time for a change.
1. asthmaandallergycenter.com: Options for Allergy-Proof Coverings