How to: Handle Hay fever in your Home

By Joshua Chadwick March 11th

Besides anti-histamines, there are other ways that we can avoid irritating allergies that start in the home.

There are so many reasons to love spring, the sun comes out of hibernation, blue skies, flowers bloom and we start to shake off our winter coats. One big problem that I – along with many other allergy susceptible Australians – have with spring is that pollen fills the air all around us. As soon as the first flower blooms, hay fever tablets are pulled out from the back of the cupboard and carried around like an additional limb.

Our homes should be our safe havens, a sanctuary from the highly pollinated air outside. Sometimes, however, we can suffer from hay fever inside as well. This can be because we are not taking proper precautions to make sure our home stays pollen-free.

Keep doors and windows shut tight

This tip may seem obvious, but any air that can creep into your house is likely to bring in pollen. To ensure your home stays pollen free, pet owners should also make sure that their pets are cleaned regularly to remove the pollen from their fur. If you are regularly taking your furry friends outside, make sure you wash them before coming inside the house.

Clean, clean, clean!

Many places in your home, particularly carpet, throws and pillows collect dust and particles that may trigger your hay fever. Throughout spring, it is extra important that you reduce the chances of allergic reaction in the home. Cleaning absorbent materials is a good place to start. Ensure that you clean around your home thoroughly throughout spring. Look into using allergy free covers for your pillows and bed covers. Make sure there are no dusty surfaces throughout your home.

Flowers in the home

Flowers produce pollen, throughout spring it is never a good idea to keep fresh flowers around the home. However, there are some house plants that can purify the air in your home and decrease the amount of pollen in the air. While house plants can clean the air in your home, you must remember to clean those regularly too. House plants can collect dust which may trigger allergies.

Purify the air in your home

Pollen floats around in the air and catches on to whatever it can when it falls. It is a good idea to have an air purifier in your home throughout allergy season. An air conditioner can help to keep the air clean so long as you make sure you regularly clean your air conditioning system to ensure you are not blowing around pollen in the home.

Those of us who are big hay fever sufferers, we know the only way to face the outside world around this time of year is with some anti-histamines and a handful of tissues. However with these tips, our homes can be an allergy free zone and a safe haven throughout spring.

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