10 tips to prevent hay fever at home
When you’re suffering from hay fever it can make the Spring and Summer months unbearable.
It feels like everything you do makes you a magnet for pollen and you get really sick of explaining that you’re not upset, your eyes are just watering with your allergies!
Even if you try to stay shut indoors away from all of those treacherous flowers and plants, it feels like you just can’t escape the sneezes.
That’s why we’ve collected 10 simple tips that will help to keep you safe from hay fever when you’re at home this allergy season, keep reading to find out what you can do to keep your home pollen-free!
1. Close the windows
One of the easiest ways to keep pollen out of your home is to block off all of the ways it has of getting in!
So lock the doors and close the windows, that pollen can’t sneak in through the cracks if there aren’t any open in the first place.
Sure, it might be warm in here, but crank up the fan, make a nice cold drink, and enjoy being able to breathe through your nose for the first Summer in years.
2. Keep a pollen-free zone
Okay, so you can’t just stay locked indoors for 6 months, that just isn’t realistic, but you can still keep that pollen out of the house.
When you come back home from being out in pollen-country, the first thing you should do is change out of those contaminated clothes and hop into the shower.
Make sure to give your hair, face, and eyebrows a good scrub so you can get all of the pollen you’ve picked up outside off of your body and washed down the drain.
If you can, make sure everyone in your household does the same thing.
Now all of the pollen that’s made it over the doorstep is contained in your laundry basket and away from your poor irritated eyes and nose.
3. Your new laundry routine
So now you’ve got all of those pollinated clothes into your laundry basket, it’s time to make sure it doesn’t make its way back into your system.
Throw it all into the washing machine so the pollen is blasted away and then get them dry - but wait! We know it’s a lovely day, but don’t you dare put those clothes out on the washing line to dry!
That’s just asking for your allergies to kick your butt all over again. Nope, it’s time to put up the airer and dry your laundry inside for the foreseeable future.
Sure, there may be clothes and towels drying all over your house, but it’s worth it to make sure you’re not crying and sneezing the second you get home.
4. Do your housework
So, we’re aware that you’ve probably had enough of chores at this point, but our next top tip is a real winner if you want to keep your home pollen-free.
Make sure you vacuum the house regularly, sucking up any loose pollen that’s been tracked into the carpet as you go.
When you’re done, wipe down all of the surfaces with a damp cloth, which will pick any pollen up from around the house so you can throw it out.
And hey, at least your house will be cleaner while you wait for pollen season to pass.
5. Pet Care
Now you’ve sorted yourself out, it’s time to tackle the other pollen-carriers in your home - your pets!
Every time your furry friends go outside they pick up pollen in their fur, which they naturally bring home to share with you, how kind!
So sorry, Fluffy, but it’s time for a bath! They won’t like it, you won’t like it, but at least you’ll be away from that pollen, even if your house smells like a wet dog now.
6. Up your sunglasses game
Ever owned a pair of wrap-around sunglasses? Well now is your time!
Wrap-around sunglasses are perfect for keeping pollen out of your eyes if you can’t avoid leaving the house or even if you’re at home and feeling particularly pollen paranoid.
With your eyes covered from all angles, that pollen will have a hard time making you cry, so we think it’s time you made a fashion statement.
7. Vaseline is your friend
Got a tub of Vaseline in your cupboard? Time to crack it open, because it could be your best friend during hay fever season!
Dab a little Vaseline around your nostrils before you leave the house and throughout the day and it’ll catch pollen that’s trying to get up your nose.
This ingenious little trick will help to keep you breathing in all of those little pollen particles that are swirling around in the air, waiting to pounce and kick your symptoms into gear. Who knew Vaseline could be so useful?
8. Stay indoors
If you’re an introvert you’ll be happy to know that the best way to keep away from pollen is simply to stay indoors, especially if the pollen count is high.
Nature? Who needs it! You can lie on your sofa and binge Netflix until all of that pollen has stopped swirling for another year.
Tell your friends they can call you if they like, but they aren’t allowed to come over unless they’ve been de-pollened first.
The aim of the game is not to be social, it’s to stop your eyes and nose leaking, so sacrifices must be made, sorry people!
9. Take your hay fever remedies
We understand that not everyone will be able to take an antihistamine, but hay fever medicines really are one of the best ways to manage your symptoms.
If you’re able to, we’d recommend taking an antihistamine tablet to manage your symptoms or picking up a hay fever relief syrup to help ease hay fever symptoms in your kids.
If you’re pregnant, you might be able to use a nasal spray or eye drops to ease your symptoms, so make sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist to recommend a suitable treatment if you’re struggling.
10. No smoking
Although this may not be the most obvious way to help manage your symptoms, quitting smoking could help you to feel better in allergy season.
Smoking can actually make your hay fever symptoms worse than usual, so if you’ve been looking for a good reason to quit, this could be it!
It won’t be easy, but you’ll be healthier and your allergies may be less aggravated, so what have you got to lose?
You can even buy 500 Piriton tablets at a time, which is enough to cover you for 84 days of treatment.
Those are our top tips about how to prevent hay fever in and around the home, and hopefully, they’ll help you out this allergy season!
Remember, if you’re struggling with hay fever and need help, your doctor or pharmacist can help you to find a treatment that will be right for you, but at least these tips should go a little way to keeping you pollen-free before then!
