Pollen Is Upon Us

Once again, it’s spring in Redding. What a wonderful season! The green grass, the abundant colorful flowers, the Cottonwood, Oak, and Willow trees all filling the air with fragrance – as well as releasing their pollen in stifling amounts. It catches on clothes, rushes in through doors and windows. And then the sneezing, the runny nose, the watery eyes…

Quick – where did you put the antihistamine?!

Thankfully, you have other secret agents helping you battle this onslaught of allergens, and one of the best ones is right under your nose – more accurately, under your feet. The rugs and carpet of your home serve as vigilant protectors, catching the pollen invaders and keeping them under restraint until you can use your vacuum to transfer them to a higher-security prison.

With flooring like hardwood or tile, allergen particles merely get wafted around. Trying to vacuum them up often results in all the moving air sending the allergens right up into your breathing zone. Carpeting and rugs act like filters, trapping those particles in place so you don’t breathe them in.

What Kind of Carpet is Best?

With all the styles and versions of carpet out there, some are better for allergy sufferers than others. A nylon or polyester carpet has synthetic fibers that allergens will not try to bond with. On the other hand, organic carpets like wool provide an environment where allergens and molds can thrive. Shorter pile lengths offer just as much trapping capability as longer lengths, but are not as stubborn when releasing the allergens to your vacuum. Tightly woven strands in your pile don’t have good trapping capability. So, your most effective carpet to help with allergies is typically a synthetic blend carpet with medium pile.

Other Tools in Your Arsenal

Regardless of your type of carpet, regular cleaning and vacuuming is vital for anyone trying to reduce allergic reactions. When dusting, consider wearing a bandana or mask to keep from breathing in what you dust loose. Remember to let gravity work for you, starting in high places and working your way down. Wait a little while before you vacuum, allowing your carpet to catch the ones with better hang times.

During this season, vacuum twice a week at the very least – even if you don’t dust that often. You can read our post on vacuuming basics for further tips. And if you don’t already have one, get your hands on a vacuum with HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters, which are designed to trap allergens.

Spring and Fall are typically the seasons when the most pollen is released. Once the release of pollen has run its course, try scheduling a visit from Preferred Carpet Care to get out any allergens your vacuum could not. Many people prefer to schedule their professional carpet cleaning based on the holidays and guest arrivals, but for those who suffer heavily from allergic reactions, pollen and allergen removal might take higher priority.

Even with your efforts and ours combined, some allergens will inevitably make their way into your home, lingering until the next major release. With a regular cleaning schedule and semi-annual visits from Preferred Carpet Care, however, we can keep the allergen population low enough to let you enjoy Spring without all the allergic reactions.