Pollen: how to remove pollen in house?
Do you suffer from cold complaints on sunny days? For example, a stuffy nose or itchy eyes? Then you may suffer from an allergic reaction to pollen. It is often advised to stay indoors, but what many do not know is that pollen can also be present in the house.
In this complete guide, I'll tell you everything you need to know about removing pollen from the house and how to keep them out from now on!
What are pollen?
First, let's briefly consider what pollen actually is. Pollen is the pollen of plants and flowers: pollen is responsible for pollination. There are two types of pollen: light pollen (dusty pollen) and sticky pollen (heavy pollen).
The light pollen can blow with the wind and in this way cover long distances. Part of the pollen reaches other plants, while another part falls to the ground. People with a pollen allergy suffer from this light pollen.
Sticky pollen, also called heavy pollen, can't blow with the wind. These are transmitted by insects. In contrast to light pollen, this type of pollen does not cause complaints in people with a pollen allergy.
Where can pollen be found in the house?
As I mentioned earlier, pollen can also sometimes be found in the house. In fact, it is one of the most common allergens in house. Especially on sunny days with a lot of wind, the chance of pollen entering your house is greatest.
Most pollen enters the house through the window. On sunny days, if you want to ventilate the house, pollen can easily blow in. You can also bring them in through your clothes.
Locations where pollen can often be found in the house:
- Curtains, blinds, net curtains
- Windowsills
- On windows
- Doormats
- Clothing
Why remove pollen from your home?
Removing pollen from the house is very important. People with hay fever can have allergic reactions to various pollens. These complaints vary per person: it can be a runny nose, but asthmatic complaints can also occur.
If pollen can be found and remain in the house, these complaints can persist.
Pollen allergy symptoms
Apart from the two types of pollen, there are an enormous amount of different pollen per crop. Someone with a pollen allergy does not necessarily always have complaints with all types of pollen.
The most common pollen comes from alder, hazel, birch and grasses. A pollen allergy is also called hay fever.
Common symptoms of a pollen allergy:
- Stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezingbui
- Itching all over the body
- Tearing and itchy eyes
- Asthmatic complaints (tightness)
- Tiredness and concentration problems
- Headache
Remove pollen from the house
Removing pollen from the house is therefore necessary to prevent hay fever indoors. By vacuuming with a vacuum cleaner with a strong HEPA filter, you can remove pollen from the house. A good air purifier can also contribute to this.
Vacuuming and cleaning
You can easily remove pollen from your home by vacuuming well. It is important that you use a vacuum cleaner with a good filter. If a vacuum cleaner does not have a good filter, the sucked up air will not be filtered properly. In other words: the pollen is only spread further.
A vacuum cleaner is increasingly equipped with a HEPA filter. HEPA is the abbreviation for High Efficiency Particulate Air; the higher the level the higher the retention. To largely filter pollen from the air, there must be at least a HEPA 13 filter (> 99.95% retention). Regular cleaning of a HEPA filter is necessary to maintain low dust emissions.
In addition to vacuuming, a damp cloth over the windowsill and furniture is also recommended every now and then.
Keep pollen out of the house
If you regularly vacuum and clean the house, you naturally want to keep the pollen out of the house as much as possible. There are a number of useful tips to prevent pollen in the future.
- Close windows and doors on sunny days with a lot of wind
- Take off shoes in front of the door
- Hang your coat directly in the hall in a closet
- Replace fabric floors for hard floors
It can also be smart to keep pets out of the bedroom. Dogs and cats can also take pollen with them. In any case, it is advisable to keep pets out of the bedroom, since you can also get allergic reactions from animal hair.
Questions about a pollen vacuum cleaner?
Do you feel that your current vacuum cleaner has no positive effect on pollen removal? Then there may be a deteriorated filter in your vacuum cleaner. If you are looking for a new vacuum cleaner, check what to look for in a vacuum cleaner for allergies. If you have additional questions about a vacuum cleaner for pollen, please send me a message.
