Spring Allergy Cleaning: How to Get Pollen Out of Your Home

Toronto's tree pollen season starts in April and does not let up until late June. Birch, oak, and maple trees are the worst offenders, and if you live near the Don Valley, the Humber ravines, or the Credit River in Mississauga, you feel it more than most. That yellow-green dust coats everything. Including the inside of your home.

Here is how to get it under control.

When to open windows and when to keep them closed

After a long winter, the urge to throw every window open is strong. If you are planning your first open-window clean of the year, pollen is something to factor in. If it triggers your allergies, you need to be strategic about it.

Best time to open: After a heavy rain. Rain knocks pollen out of the air and washes it off surfaces. The first few hours after a good rainfall are the cleanest air you will get in spring.

Worst time to open: Warm, dry, windy mornings. That is when pollen counts peak. Trees release pollen early in the day, and wind carries it everywhere.

Check the pollen count before you open up. The Weather Network posts daily counts for Toronto. On high pollen days, keep windows closed and run your air conditioning or fan instead.

Clean your HVAC vents and replace filters

Your furnace and AC system circulate air through every room. If the filter is dirty or the vents are dusty, you are blowing pollen and dust around the house all day.

Replace your furnace filter: Do this at the start of allergy season. Use a filter rated MERV 11 or higher. These catch smaller particles including pollen. The cheap fibreglass filters let most of it pass through.

Wipe down your vents: Pull the covers off your floor and wall vents. Wash them in warm soapy water. Wipe the inside of the duct opening as far as you can reach with a damp cloth. This takes about 20 minutes for a whole house and makes a noticeable difference.

Wash your curtains and blinds

Fabric curtains collect pollen like a filter. You cannot see it building up, but if you take them down and shake them outside, you will see the cloud.

Wash curtains and drapes once in early spring. Most can go in the washing machine on a gentle cycle. Check the label first.

Blinds need wiping down too. Run a damp cloth along each slat. This is tedious but it removes a surprising amount of dust and pollen.

Clean your window screens

This one gets skipped a lot. Your screens are the first thing air passes through when you open a window. If they are coated in pollen, every breeze pushes it inside.

Take screens out and lean them against the house. Spray them down with a garden hose. Let them dry before putting them back. Do this once in April and once in May.

Vacuum with a HEPA filter

A regular vacuum picks up some pollen but blows the finest particles right back into the air through the exhaust. A vacuum with a HEPA filter traps those tiny particles instead of recirculating them.

During allergy season, vacuum high-traffic areas twice a week. Pay extra attention to:

• Entryways: Where pollen gets tracked in on shoes and clothes
• Bedrooms: Where you spend eight hours breathing whatever is in the air
• Near windows: Where pollen drifts in and settles on the floor and sills

Vacuum upholstered furniture too. Couch cushions, fabric chairs, and throw pillows all collect pollen.

Which rooms matter most

Focus your allergy cleaning on two rooms: bedrooms and the main living area.

Bedrooms: This is where clean air matters most. Keep bedroom windows closed on high pollen days. Wash bedding weekly in hot water during pollen season. Wipe nightstands and dressers with a damp cloth, not a dry duster that just moves particles around.

Living room or family room: Vacuum upholstery, wipe hard surfaces with a damp cloth, and keep the floor clean. If you have pets that go outside, they are carrying pollen in on their fur. Wipe them down with a damp towel before they settle onto the couch.

A few more things that help

Shower before bed: You carry pollen in your hair and on your skin. A quick shower keeps it off your pillow.

Dry laundry inside: Hanging laundry outside on a clothesline in spring means it comes back in covered in pollen. Use the dryer during peak season.

Damp dust, always: Dry dusting pushes pollen into the air. A damp cloth or microfibre cloth picks it up and holds it.

Spring in Toronto is beautiful. A little extra cleaning lets you enjoy it without the sneezing. If you want a thorough spring cleaning to start the season right, give us a call.