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Reducing Indoor Allergens and Pollen

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May is Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month. Raise your hand if you suffer from the effects of pollen?

If you are like our family, you are always looking for tips on reducing indoor allergens, pollen, and dust. So, I was happy when Sharp PCI provided me with an Air Purifier to review.

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8 Tips to Reducing Indoor Allergens and Pollen

Fortunately, I am married to a guy (@Dadventurous) who used to own a flood restoration company and who is an expert at mold remediation and carpet cleaning. He also happens to suffer horribly from allergies. So, I interviewed him about what he learned from his time in that industry and asked him to share his top tips for reducing indoor allergens and pollen. He recommend the following:

  1. Prevent outdoor allergens and pollen from entering your house. Do this by keeping windows and doors closed during when pollen is high and changing your air filters on your furnace each season.
  2. Remove allergens and pollen when you are cleaning. Vacuum once a week for every person in your household. For a family of four, this means four times a week.
  3. Filter micro allergens, pollen, and dust. Use the right type and size of filters for your furnace and air conditioner (HEPA) and change them regularly.
  4. Purifier the air in your home. Sharp PCI Air Purifiers provide an automatic and complete air quality for your home while reducing indoor allergens.
  5. Deep clean your carpet. Allergens, pollen, dust, and dirt can get trapped in your carpet that regular vacuum cleaners have a tough time removing. Getting a deep carpet cleaning once a year (we recommend steam cleaning), and twice a year if you have kids and pets, is great for reducing allergens. Check out these 5 tips for keeping your carpet looking great between deep cleanings!
  6. Dust and sweep regularly. Use cleaning products, like Swiffer Sweepers or Pledge Wipes (lemon is my fave), that grab and remove dust instead of simply pushing it to the side.
  7. Bathe and groom your pets regularly. Pets can bring in allergens and pollen. Bathing and grooming your pets regularly will help reduce the amount of pollen they track in.
  8. Set rules for your kids. Like pets, kids also track the outdoors inside after they play. Requiring them to shower after playing outdoors and change their clothes before going to bed is an important key in reducing indoor allergens.

Reducing Indoor Allergens and Pollen Through HEPA Filters

While interviewing my husband, he kept referring to HEPA. I finally asked him what the big deal was. Apparently, most disposable filters are designed to remove the largest particles in the air. These filters might only remove 10-40% of the dust floating in your home. A HEPA filter can remove up to 99% of those air born particles. To reduce indoor allergens, you'll want to purchase furnace and air conditioning filters, vacuum filters, and air humidifier and/or purifier filters that are pure HEPA filters.

Tip! Make sure you are purchasing true HEPA filters. HEPA-Type and High Efficiency filters are not true HEPA filters. True HEPA filtration removes 99.97% of airborne pollutants including dust, pollen, pet dander, and smoke particles. This provides almost perfect allergen removal. Fortunately, the Sharp PCI Air Purifier has a true HEPA filter. Score!

Want to learn more about reducing indoor allergens and ways to breathe easier during allergy season, join us for a Twitter party Tuesday, May 15 from 9 p.m. ET ( 8 CT, 7 MT, 6 PT), using the hashtags #gno and #RoomToBreathe. 

Have tips for reducing indoor allergens and pollen? Share on SharpAirUSA's Facebook page.

Disclosure: I was provided with a Sharp PCI Air Purifier to review. All opinions are my own.
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