Winter Allergy Relief: Home Cleaning Tips That Help
Winter allergies are real. When windows stay closed and heating systems run more often, dust, pet dander, mold spores, and other indoor allergens can circulate through the home and settle into carpets, upholstery, mattresses, drapes, and vents. Cleaning cannot diagnose or treat allergies, but a cleaner indoor environment can help reduce the dust and particles that make winter feel uncomfortable.
If you deal with sneezing, itchy eyes, congestion, or stale indoor air during colder months, your home cleaning routine may need more than surface dusting. For broader advice, see our 5 simple ways to reduce allergens at home.
First, though, we need to examine the difference between a common winter cold and a winter allergy:
Winter Allergies:
- Congestion that is watery or clear
- Itchy eyes, itchy throat, itchy ear canal
- Symptoms that persist for weeks or longer
Winter Colds:
- Congestion that is a color
- Fever, chills, body aches
- Symptoms that usually go in a week or so
If you think you are suffering from a winter allergy, keep reading!
Your first line of defense – air vent cleaning
The air we breathe inside our homes can be littered with allergens, dust, mold spores and pollutants that are invisible to the naked eye. If you have not had your air vents cleaned in a while and are noticing more and more symptoms, it may be time to schedule a professional inspection. Angelo’s offers an in-home video inspection of air ducts that can literally look inside the guts of your venting system and identify issues such as dust, dirt, mold build-up inside the vents and more. You can also read is air duct cleaning worth it?
Your second line of defense – carpet cleaning
Dust and pet dander can bury down deep in the fibers of your carpets and rugs. Every time you vacuum, it does suck up some of these allergens but it also blows out a good amount into the air. Just look at the air after you have vacuumed on a sunny day and you will see the dust particles flying everywhere and landing all over your house. A professional carpet cleaning can give your rugs a deep-clean. For timing guidance, read how often carpets should be professionally cleaned.
Your third line of defense – mattress cleaning
You lay down every night and all of the day’s dust and pet dander has fallen down on your pillow and bed. By changing your sheets regularly, and your pillowcase frequently, you can cut down on nighttime sneezing. But throwing the mattress in the washing machine is, well, impossible! Angelo’s offers a mattress cleaning service to rid your bed of allergens and contaminants.
Your fourth line of defense – upholstery cleaning
Sitting on the couch, watching a movie and listening to the cold winter air howling outside is a rite of winter, but that couch can attract a bevy of allergens including dust, pet dander and pet hair, and just about anything else you can imagine. Because we spend much more time inside during the winter, it can be beneficial to have your sofas, couches, chairs, etc. professionally steam cleaned or dry cleaned. Learn more in our upholstery, couch, and drapery cleaning guide.
Your fifth line of defense – drapery cleaning
The drapes and curtains are the last thing you’d think of as having anything to do with your allergies but they can, in fact, be one of the reasons why you start sneezing in the living room – the room with your beautiful thick drapes! Think of all of the dust and dander that collects in the folds and far out-of-reach at the top. Learn more about our drapery cleaning service.
And, Your last line of defense – KLEENEX!
