About one in five people in America suffer from allergies or asthma, which generally makes spring an extremely difficult season and indoor air quality more important than ever. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), our indoor environment is 2-5x more toxic than our outdoor environment and the air measurements indoors have been found to be 100x more polluted.

Generally, people open their windows to allow fresh air once the spring comes. For allergy sufferers, springtime can be a challenge. Unfortunately, once you open your windows, you’ve allowed pollen and other pollutants into your home. So with that being said, here are some tips to improve air quality and fight off spring allergies:

– Consider an air-purifying option

Whether it’s a media filter or a whole-home filtration system, there are some ways to filter, clean and purify the air in your home.

– Use your air conditioner

Cooling systems actually help reduce the pollen count inside the home. Before the temperature and pollen count starts to rise, have your air conditioning unit checked by us. Yearly maintenance is the best way to ensure a long, cool summer and bring peace of mind.

– Clean weekly

One way to limit the allergens that enter a home is to clean the home’s hard surfaces (tables, counters, shelves) with a damp cloth weekly. Using a vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate arresting (HEPA) filter will also help improve the home’s air quality.

– Buy indoor plants to freshen the air

Certain plants can filter out common violate organic compounds that can cause adverse health effects. In the late 1980s, NASA conducted a study to determine which indoor plants were the most effective at improving indoor air quality. Some of the air-cleaning plants include aloe plants, spider plants, Gerber daisies, chrysanthemums, and English ivy.

– Control home temperature

Keep your home’s temperature around 70 degrees. Overly warm houses tend to attract dust mites and mold.

– Inspect and replace air filters

Changing air filters regularly is a quick way to contribute to improving your indoor air quality.