In the Yuma area, most fall allergies come from trees, shrubs and grasses that don’t have obvious flowers or strong scents. Instead of drawing birds and bees to them, plants with inconspicuous flowers need to find each other to create seeds. They send out tiny pollen particles that move easily in the wind and into your respiratory tract.
These tips can help you combat seasonal allergies:
Replace your vacuum cleaner bag with an HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) bag and vacuum routinely. HEPA bags trap nearly all the particulates the vacuum pulls into the bag so that the allergens don’t blow all over your home.
Dust with damp cloths instead of dry rags.
Brush your cats and dogs daily, especially after coming in from outdoors. Their coats carry a lot of pollen.
Remove your shoes before coming inside and shake them off at the door.
Shower and change your clothes after an extended period of outdoor exposure.
Keep doors and windows closed.
Upgrade the air filter for your HVAC system. When you use one with a higher MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) rating, you’ll have fewer airborne particulates in the air. Whenever your air conditioner runs, the air will pass through the filter and trap the pollen. Choose the densest filter that you can use with your HVAC system. You’ll find that information in the user manual or from your HVAC pro.
Look over the condition of the registers throughout your house. If they’re dusty, either take them down to wash them or vacuum them with the brush attachment.
Have your HVAC system serviced by a professional. Before getting it ready for winter, have a licensed HVAC technician service it. Over the summer, a tremendous amount of air goes through the air handler, and its parts could be covered with irritating particulates. Besides lowering the pollen count, it will prolong the life of the parts inside your system and lower energy costs.
If your fall allergies are getting out of control, give Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company a call. We provide HVAC services for Yuma-area residents.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 928-723-3183.
