To anyone who struggles with chronic allergies, congestion and itching, it may just seem like a way of life, particularly in Arizona. Why are allergies so bad in Arizona? Contrary to what you might think, the air quality in Phoenix is actually quite bad, especially as the growing population has created more homes and more landscaped yards. And since the arid climate means that pollen floats longer and travels farther, springtime allergies can be particularly troublesome here.
Despite this, your allergies don’t have to be a life sentence. Here are some ideas for minimizing your allergies in Arizona.
Watch Pollen Counts
When it comes to fighting allergies, perhaps your best tool is to always be informed, so that you can make educated decisions about everything from allergy medication to outdoor activities. Watching pollen counts will let you know, even before leaving the house, when to prepare for the worst and when you’ll likely feel pretty good. On the days when pollen counts are high, you can limit outdoor activities or take allergy medication as a preventative.
Shower at Night
Showering at night does a lot more than just helping you wind down in preparation for going to bed. It also helps you shed any pollen and other allergens you’ve accumulated on your skin and in your hair during the day, setting you up for a much better night’s sleep. Going to bed with allergens still clinging to you can make getting enough sleep difficult, to say the least.
Wash Your Sheets Once a Week
Many people with chronic allergies find they’re the worst at night and first thing in the morning. There’s a reason for that! Especially if you don’t shower before climbing into bed at night, your sheets can be chock full of allergens. There’s the pollen and other allergens you accumulated on you all day, of course, but then there’s also your own skin cells and the pet hair and dander of any animals that sleep with you. These things build up quickly, so if you’re not washing your sheets regularly, heaven knows what you’re breathing in all night, every night.
Clean Your House the Right Way
You probably already know that cleaning regularly will help to keep down your allergies by eliminating as many allergens as possible. What you might not realize is that if you haven’t been using the right tools, you’re not going to have as much of an impact as you might think.
First of all, use a damp cloth to dust and wipe down surfaces. Using a dry cloth will simply stir up allergens and make them more likely to get breathed in. In fact, you may find that your allergies are worse just after you clean, and this is part of the reason why.
Second, invest in a vacuum with a HEPA filter. Any device bearing this name has been proven to filter out 99.97 percent of particles as small as .3 microns, making them ideal for anyone who struggles with allergies.
Filter Out Allergens
Cleaning the surfaces in your home only helps so much, though, since allergens are so often airborne. One way to get rid of them is to filter the air, but not all air filters are equal. To really cut down on allergens inside your home, you can use a HEPA filter or even a more advanced filtration system, such as CleanEffects by Trane, which uses two different methods of filtering the air. First the system uses a standard, physical filter to trap larger particles. Next, it uses ionization to charge the particles, allowing the system to pick up particles as small as .1 micron, even smaller than a HEPA filter is rated to remove.
A system this advanced does require specialized air filter installation, but it can make a huge difference in the quality of your indoor air, preventing much, if not all, of your allergies while at home.
Clean the Air
In addition to filtering the air, you can also clean it with an air purifier or scrubber. The best air purifier for your home is one that uses multiple methods to remove and neutralize allergens in the air. For example, the Air Scrubber Plus uses UV light to neutralize and destroy pathogens in the air, including the tiny mold spores that cause allergic reactions in many people. At the same time, it uses the same ionization process that Trane’s CleanEffects uses, trapping other allergens such as dust, pet dander, and pollen.
Say No to Allergies!
If you’re tired of battling your allergies every spring, it’s time to take action. By keeping your house cleaner and pursuing professional air quality services, you can make your life more comfortable. Contact Day & Night Air today and say no to allergies!