Every spring, Maryland's trees coat cars, porches and window sills in yellow-green pollen — and a lot of it ends up inside. A few cleaning habits make a real difference for everyone in the house, especially allergy sufferers.
Stop it at the door
- Use a washable doormat outside and inside every entry, and wash them often.
- Leave shoes at the door.
- Wipe pets' paws and coats when they come in.
Windows and sills
Pollen collects on sills, tracks and screens and blows in whenever windows open. Clean tracks and screens at the start of the season — a window cleaning visit does glass, frames, sills, tracks and screens together.
Floors and surfaces
Vacuum with a HEPA-filter vacuum at least weekly during peak season, and damp-dust rather than dry-dust so pollen is captured instead of stirred up.
Bedding and HVAC
Wash bedding weekly in hot water and change your HVAC filter at the start of the season. If anyone in the home has allergies, a spring deep clean resets vents, baseboards and upholstery where pollen settles.
