According to a recent article, spring, when it finally crawls its way up the continent, will bring with it a rotten allergy season. On top of the usual pollen and mold growth, allergy sufferers will be combatting the effects of rapid changes in temperature and moisture in the air. People who have asthma will be feeling the strain now — more so as the temperatures start to ping-pong. Good news is such a cold winter likely killed off more pathogens than the last few winters. Bad news is a wet warm spring could bring higher mold spore counts. Ugh. As a person who deals with both asthma and allergies, I’m already feeling the drag on my energy and there’s a brand new 3 inch layer of snow in my neck of the woods.

Prepare for it, prepare your clients for it:

• Clean and replace all filters – furnace, HRV, A/C
• Keep mold at bay by keeping humidity levels down in the house – run the bathroom fan religiously, use a dehumidifier in damp basement areas
• Keep windows closed early in the morning – tree pollen counts are highest then
• Take your shoes off at the door to stop tracking pollen all over the house
• Pets can bring pollen into the house too – keep them off upholstered furniture and carpets/rugs, or vacuum frequently, even daily (ya, right, that’ll happen at my house…)
• An air purifier with a HEPA filter can help reduce pollen counts, these can be add-ons to ventilation systems or stand alone plug-in units for individual rooms