• Around 13 million Brits suffer from hay fever each year
• Tips include how to reduce pollen from entering the home and settling into carpet fibres, alongside tips to banish pollen stains

Around 13 million Brits suffer from hay fever each year, and as we step into spring, many are bracing themselves for the familiar symptoms that the season brings. Whilst the outdoors is commonly blamed for triggering symptoms, many people don’t realise that hay fever triggers can easily make their way indoors.

Pollen, dust, and other allergens can easily find their way into your home through open windows, doors, and even clothing, where they can then settle into carpets, creating the perfect environment for hay fever symptoms to flare up. To better understand how pollen can invade your living space, and how to minimise its presence, along with top tips for tackling stubborn pollen stains this spring, Liam Cleverdon, interior expert and director at Flooring King shares his top advice.

How can pollen enter homes and settle into carpets?

Pollen can easily make its way into homes through open windows, doors, or clothing. On breezy days, pollen grains can be carried through the air and drift into your home. Once inside, they can settle onto surfaces, and get trapped in carpet fibres, particularly those with long fibres or a deep pile.  With their dense fibres, carpets can act like a trap for these particles, where they remain lodged – this is especially true for high-traffic areas or where doors and windows are frequently opened and over time, the build-up of pollen in carpets can contribute to ongoing allergy symptoms.

Top tips to reducing allergens in your carpets:

Keep windows and doors shut, especially at times of the day where pollen count peaks:

To reduce the amount of pollen entering your home through open doors and windows, try keeping them closed, particularly on windy days or during peak pollen times – typically early mornings between 6am and 10am, and late afternoons from 4pm to 7pm. Additionally, whilst it’s tempting to open windows on warmer days, pollen can tend to linger in the air, so it’s especially helpful to keep windows shut to prevent allergens drifting indoors.

Change clothing and wipe down pets when returning home:

Changing clothes and wiping down pets when coming home during hay fever season is essential for minimising the amount of pollen you bring indoors. Pollen can cling to clothing, shoes, and pet fur, and once inside, it can easily spread throughout the home and settle in carpets, upholstery, and other surfaces. By changing clothes, you remove pollen directly from your body, preventing it from transferring onto furniture or carpets. Similarly, wiping down pets removes pollen from their fur, stopping it from being carried into your home.

Regular hoovering:

Regular hoovering is a simple yet effective way to reduce the build- up of pollen in carpets and help alleviate hay fever symptoms. By hoovering at least two to three times a week, especially during peak pollen season you will reduce the amount of pollen that has settled into the carpet fibres before it can accumulate. If you live in an area with a high pollen count or have pets, you should consider hoovering four to five times a week to significantly reduce the allergens that are brought into a space.

Regular cleaning of other areas of the home:

Regular cleaning of other areas of the home is also crucial for reducing pollen getting trapped in your carpet. Pollen can land on various surfaces such as countertops, furniture, and bedding and when these surfaces aren’t cleaned regularly, pollen can easily be transferred to the carpet through everyday activities such as simply walking around or moving objects.

By frequently cleaning high-traffic areas, and dry mopping hard floors more frequently throughout the season, it can help to reduce the buildup of pollen in your home. Pollen can settle into hard surfaces just like it does on carpets. Mopping hard floors with a dry microfibre mop will help to lift and remove the pollen, preventing them from becoming airborne and spreading throughout the home. It’s a good idea to mop at least two times a week to remove pollen build up, and similarly to hoovering, if you live in an area with a high pollen count or have pets, you might need to increase this amount.

Additionally, by wiping down surfaces, and washing soft textiles, you’ll reduce the overall presence of pollen in your home, making it less likely to find its way into carpet fibres.