Preparing for the Elevating Pollen Count
The Greater Tampa Bay Area is a spectacular place to live. We’ve got culture, sports, beaches, parks, and an abundance of wildlife. Particularly, we have a lot of oak trees. From Carrollwood to South Tampa, some of us see it as a blessing to be nestled under a cool, shaded canopy of oak trees. Although for many, the grand oak is seen as a curse this time of year.That yellow dusting over our homes, walkways, and cars is a telltale sign that it’s time to pop an allergy pill and stock up on the tissues and eye drops.
Prevention is often the key to success. We think the best defense against allergens is to limit the pollen outside and inside your home as much as humanly possible. Here are tips for protecting you and your home against pollen.
- Outdoors: A first line of defense could be having your trees trimmed prior to pollen season, which can help limit the amount of pollen produced. Anyone with oak trees knows that pollen grains will fall everywhere and anywhere for several months, and they’re difficult to remove once they’re spread over our landscape. Increasing the frequency of lawncare is recommended for quickly disposing of fallen leaves and pollen. Maintaining clean walkways and lawns could help prevent tracking of allergens into your home. If you have severe symptoms, now might be the time to consider hiring a landscaping company to takeover some of your outdoor chores.
- Indoors: Inevitably, pollen will seep indoors through you and your pets. Foot-traffic means that household chores may need to increase with more frequent vacuuming, mopping, and dusting. This is anopportune time to set a no-shoe policy in your home to limit exposure to allergens. Experts also say that keeping windows closed and the air conditioning on can help filter allergens out of the air in your home. You may also consider the purchase of an air purifier for certain rooms of your home.
- People: Pollen latches onto hair, shoes, and clothing. For the hair and body, you may want to consider switching your shower routine to the evenings. That way you wash off any pollen residue, and you don’t transfer the pollen onto the pillows where you lay your head. Much like clothing, your bedding and rugs will also need washed more often this time of year to remove allergens.
- Pets: Brushing and bathing pets regularly is an excellent way to keep your home free of dander, allergens, and any outdoor debris. Weekly bathing can be safe for most dogs. To prevent pollen from being brought inside on their paws, you may also consider keeping towels or baby wipes by your door for quick daily-cleaning of your pet’s paws.
In addition to these simple home tips, you may want to visit a physician for dealing with more severe cases of allergy symptoms. Whether you’d love to live on one of Tampa’s oak tree-lined streets, or you’d prefer a row of palms — we would be happy to help you find a perfect Florida home. Call Dick and Karla Nielsen today at 813-294-5786 for more information
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