My youngest daughter is basically allergic to spring. As soon as the cold weather shows any sign of a thaw and trees and plants begin to find new life, her seasonal allergies kick in. For years, spring meant dealing with allergy symptoms well into summer.
While I can't control Mother Nature or the pollen outside, I can take steps to reduce the amount of pollen, pet dander, dust mites, and other allergens that collect inside our pet-filled home.
I originally had the opportunity to learn about Chem-Dry, a company that has offered carpet and upholstery cleaning services since 1977. They shared several spring cleaning tips for allergy and asthma sufferers, and I've updated those ideas with practical ways families can reduce common indoor allergens today.
If someone in your family has seasonal allergies or asthma, here are seven places to focus your spring-cleaning efforts.
Why Spring Cleaning Matters for Allergy and Asthma Sufferers
Spring pollen doesn't always stay outside. It can make its way into the house through open windows and doors and can be tracked indoors on shoes, clothing, and pets.
Inside the home, families may also encounter allergens and asthma triggers such as dust mites, pet dander, mold, and particles that accumulate in household dust.
While cleaning can't eliminate every allergen or prevent every allergy or asthma symptom, reducing exposure to known triggers can be an important part of an individual's allergy or asthma management plan.
1. Change Your Heating and Air Conditioning Filters
Check your HVAC filters regularly and replace them according to the manufacturer's instructions—or sooner when appropriate if they become dirty or clogged.
Heating and cooling systems can move airborne particles throughout a home. Using an appropriate, higher-efficiency filter that is compatible with your HVAC system can help capture some of those particles.
During high-pollen periods, keeping windows closed and using air conditioning can also help reduce the amount of outdoor pollen entering your home.
2. Allergy-Proof the Bed
The bedroom is an especially important place to address if dust mites are a trigger.
Use zippered allergen-resistant covers on mattresses and pillows and wash bedding regularly. Dust mites can live in bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture, and carpeting, so reducing exposure where your family sleeps can be particularly helpful.
Wash sheets and other washable bedding weekly and dry everything completely.
3. Make Window Coverings Easier to Clean
Blinds, curtains, and other window treatments can collect dust and allergens.
Chem-Dry originally suggested replacing difficult-to-clean blinds with easier-to-clean shades or cleaning blinds regularly. You don't necessarily need to replace your window treatments simply because someone has allergies, though.
Instead, choose window coverings that you can realistically keep clean. Dust blinds with a damp or microfiber cloth, and wash or vacuum fabric curtains according to their care instructions.
Reducing clutter and choosing washable or easily cleaned surfaces can make ongoing allergen control much easier.
4. Reduce the Allergens Pets Bring Indoors
Our pets are part of the family, but furry animals can contribute to indoor allergen exposure.
Pet allergies aren't actually an allergy to the animal's fur itself. Allergens are proteins found in substances such as pet dander, saliva, and urine. Fur can also carry pollen and other allergens indoors.
If someone in your home is allergic to a pet, keeping the pet out of that person's bedroom can help reduce exposure. Regularly cleaning pet bedding, vacuuming floors and upholstered furniture, and wiping pets down after they've spent time outdoors may also help reduce the pollen and allergens they carry through the house.
Bathing a pet may help reduce airborne allergens for some families, but talk with your veterinarian about an appropriate bathing and grooming schedule for your particular animal.
5. Vacuum Carpets and Rugs Regularly
Carpets and rugs can collect dust, pollen, pet allergens, and other particles, making regular cleaning particularly important in homes with allergy or asthma sufferers.
Vacuum carpets and area rugs about once a week—or more often when necessary. A vacuum with a HEPA filter can help keep some of the collected dust from escaping back into the room.
One thing I would change from the original advice I received is the claim that every home needs professional carpet cleaning at least once a year or two to three times a year when children and pets are present. There isn't a universal medical recommendation requiring that schedule for allergy or asthma control.
The appropriate cleaning schedule depends on your carpeting, household traffic, pets, spills, manufacturer recommendations, and the needs of your family.
If you do have carpets professionally cleaned, make sure they're allowed to dry thoroughly. Controlling excess moisture is important because damp conditions can encourage mold growth.
Chem-Dry currently uses a low-moisture Hot Carbonating Extraction process designed to use less water and allow carpets to dry relatively quickly compared with more water-intensive cleaning methods.
6. Stop Outdoor Dirt and Allergens at the Door
Door mats and washable area rugs can help collect some of the dirt and debris tracked into your home.
You can take that strategy a step further during pollen season by removing shoes at the door. After spending significant time outside on a high-pollen day, changing clothes can also help prevent pollen from spreading through bedrooms and other living areas.
Don't forget to clean your entry mats and rugs regularly, too. Otherwise, the area designed to catch outdoor debris can become another place for dust and allergens to accumulate.
7. Don't Forget Upholstered Furniture
Carpets aren't the only soft surfaces that collect household dust and allergens. Sofas, chairs, cushions, curtains, and other upholstered surfaces deserve attention, too.
Vacuum upholstered furniture regularly, particularly if you have pets. A HEPA-filter vacuum may help reduce the amount of captured dust that escapes back into the air.
Whether your furniture needs professional upholstery cleaning every year depends on the fabric, manufacturer care instructions, amount of use, pets, spills, and your household's needs. I wouldn't consider annual professional cleaning a universal allergy requirement.
Can Spring Cleaning Help With Seasonal Allergies?
Cleaning can't cure seasonal allergies, but it can help reduce exposure to allergens that have made their way indoors.
During pollen season, a simple routine can make a difference: keep windows closed when pollen levels are high, remove shoes at the door, change clothes after extended outdoor activities, shower before bed when appropriate, clean bedding regularly, and vacuum floors and fabric furniture.
If your family also deals with indoor triggers such as dust mites or pet allergens, your spring-cleaning routine can address those at the same time.
What About Professional Carpet Cleaning?
Sometimes keeping up with carpets and upholstery requires a little help—especially in a busy home with children and pets.
Chem-Dry uses a proprietary Hot Carbonating Extraction cleaning process that relies on carbonation and uses substantially less water than traditional steam-cleaning methods. According to Chem-Dry, carpets cleaned with its process typically dry in about one to two hours.
The company's primary cleaning solution, The Natural®, is currently described by Chem-Dry as its core cleaning solution. Current Chem-Dry materials also identify The Natural® as EPA Safer Choice certified.
Those details are useful when comparing carpet-cleaning methods, but professional carpet cleaning shouldn't be presented as a treatment for allergies or asthma. Think of it as one possible part of maintaining clean carpets and reducing accumulated household debris rather than a replacement for an allergy or asthma treatment plan.
Learn more about Chem-Dry or find a local operator to request a free quote by visiting the Chem-Dry website.
A Few Last Spring Cleaning Notes
Living in a home with kids and pets means there will always be something that needs cleaning. Add seasonal allergies or asthma to the mix, and deciding where to concentrate your efforts can feel overwhelming.
Instead of trying to create an allergen-free home—which isn't realistic—focus on reducing the triggers that actually affect your family. Keep bedding clean, control indoor moisture, vacuum floors and upholstery regularly, keep outdoor pollen from spreading through the house, maintain your HVAC filters, and pay special attention to bedrooms.
For our family, spring cleaning was less about achieving a perfectly clean house and more about creating an indoor environment that was a little easier for our allergy sufferer to enjoy while everything outside was blooming.
If allergies or asthma symptoms are persistent, severe, or difficult to control, talk with your healthcare provider about identifying triggers and developing an appropriate treatment plan.
Note: This article shares our family's personal experience and general household cleaning information. It isn't a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, but I did receive Chem-Dry product samples for use in my spring cleaning. All opinions expressed are my own.
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