We have reached the time of the year when temperatures rise, flowers bloom, and we spend more time outside. Unless of course, at this time you’re living in an area like me and it’s been rain-rain-rain for days-days-days! LOL Anyway, for people who suffer from allergies, spring is a time that isn’t so fun.

While the tendency may be to head indoors for relief – note that indoor levels of many pollutants may be 2-5x’s higher than outdoors. In fact, many seasonal activities such as cooking, spring cleaning and redecorating can spread indoor pollutants.

Did you know:

• Poor indoor air quality can cause a lack of concentration in school-aged children (Journal of Indoor Air)
• Every year, asthma accounts for an est. 3 million lost work days for adults and 10+ million lost school days for children (American Lung Association’s Trends in Asthma Morbidity and Mortality)

So, be sure to give you house a “home health check-up” to help make your home a healthier place to live. Avoiding cleaning products that contain ammonia or chlorine. A performance air filter, such as a Filtrete filter, may also help improve indoor air quality and remember to change them every season or every 3 months. Visit Filtrete.com to find out more and view the podcast on it. You may even play the Filtrete Clean Air Fact or Fiction to test your knowledge of indoor air quality.

At one time I didn’t think much about all this – till last year when I discovered my son was allergic to almost everything outside! Multiple trees, pollen, grass, etc… and indoors – dust and dander! So, I felt like sharing this. Sign up for the Clean-Air club for filter change reminders & seasonal e-newsletters (be on the first 50 and you’ll get a free Bamboo plant! Yay!)

I’ll leave you with a few tips (from Dr. Schachter, one of the leading authorities on respiratory disease):

• Houseplants…a clean air ally – Common indoor houseplants, such as bamboo plants, English ivy and peace lily, can provide a natural way to help fight against rising levels of indoor air pollution by absorbing some potentially harmful gases. A six-inch potted green plant can clean a room of excess carbon dioxide in eight hours
• Use area rugs instead of wall-to-wall carpeting – Wall-to-wall carpeting can attract and hold indoor dirt, pollen, pet hair and mold spores and many contain chemicals. Vacuuming can remove some surface dirt, but often, the vacuum can actually push pollutants deeper into carpet fibers. Area rugs are best since they can be picked up and cleaned thoroughly
• Use high performance air filters – Use a high performance filter, like the Filtrete 1” Advanced Allergen Filter from 3M, to help capture particles such as pollen, smoke, dust mite debris and pet dander from the air that passes through the filter.
• Turn up the air conditioning – Air conditioners not only cool the air in your home, they can also help reduce humidity levels. During the warm months of the year, turn up the air conditioner to help keep humidity levels lower, which can help keep mold from growing.
• Turn off the humidifier – Room air humidifiers are moisture-generating sources that can spread bacteria, mold spores and chemical deposits into the air in your home. Keep relative humidity between 30% and 50% to help prevent mold growth.
• Leave shoes outside – Avoid bringing contaminated outdoor pollutants indoors by removing your shoes before entering the home. Wearing shoes indoors can track particles that can become airborne, including animal dander, mold spores, pollen and bacteria.