A lone sneeze is all it takes for you to remember what time of year it is.
Soon it’s met with a sniffle, a general bung up in the nose that makes breathing at night a little uncomfortable. Soon it's followed by itchy eyes or even worse symptoms.
There’s no getting away from it - hayfever season is well and truly here.
Although other treatments for hayfever do exist, the fightback against this seasonal nuisance starts at home.
End of Tenancy London has shared certain things you can do when maintaining your home that can also help you manage your allergies.
Cleaning tips for tackling hayfever
A spokesperson for End of Tenancy London, Ivan Ivanov, said: “We’re now at the beginning of hay fever season, and quite rightly people are getting prepared for their allergies to hit.
“Although antihistamines and other over-the-counter pharmaceuticals can help alleviate allergy symptoms, the best course of action is to remove any triggers. This means tackling dust within your own home first and foremost, and it doesn’t have to be an arduous task.”
Clean your bedsheets
Dust mites love to chill in your bed sheets - the best way to get rid? Stick those sheets through the washing machine.
Make sure you dry them away from the floor so they don’t re-pick up all the stuff you just spent an afternoon trying to get rid of.
Get hoovering
Dust loves hiding in the carpets, but you already knew that which is why it is important to keep up that no doubt rigorous bi-weekly hoovering routine you committed to as a New Year’s resolution.
Remember to give thick carpets extra love and care.
Invest in purification
With their fine air filters, purifiers suck in air and release it back out free of that pesky pollen.
Not perfect and requiring a bit of investment, this is still a great option for those looking to take their pollen removal to the next level.
Mop to the top
Mopping your hard floor is one of the quickest ways of getting pollen out of the home. Warm water, a few splashes of vinegar and some elbow grease should be all it takes to complete this simple task.
Do that DIY
Got some annoying cracks, gaps and loose slats that need a bit of love? Well, kill two birds with one stone as these hard to reach places can be a hive for dust - do the DIY and help the hay fever in the process. Bargain!
Dust off the cobwebs
When doing your weekly (no less, of course) dust off, make sure you use a damp cloth rather than a dry one.
While a dry cloth is likely to send dust up into the air, a damp one will ensure loose bits of dirt stick to it and can be easily removed from the home.
De-clutter
Dust settles in the cracks deep in the parts of your house that are normally out of sight and out of mind.
Attack these places and get rid of the dust in the process - call this the perfect opportunity to finally do that spring cleaning.
Clean you blinds
Blinds made of delicate material can gather dust - wipe them down with a damp cloth. If you don’t fancy that give them hoover or buy some lint rollers.
The key to success
Typing on your computer causes microscopic bits of skin to drop off your hands which eventually turn into dust and can later be agitated to cause irritation.
Get a cotton bud in the gaps between the keys to remove the dust in a way that won’t send it all up into your work from home set-up.
