Believe it or not, it is now officially spring. And if you are one of the estimated 10 million people in England that suffers from hay fever, you know that Spring brings with it the unmistakeable symptoms of Hay fever: itchy eyes, and fits of sneezing.
Hay fever is caused by an allergic reaction to pollen and unfortunately has no outright cure. Medication such as antihistamines are effective at reducing the symptoms, but avoiding pollen is the key and you may be surprised to learn that your cleaning contractor may hold the solution.
Here are 5 ways to reduce the effects of hayfever and other allergies:
Clean and vacuum thoroughly
Hay fever and other allergies are caused by the presence of allergens such as pollen in the environment. Regular and thorough cleaning and vacuuming will help to reduce the presence of allergens in the office or at home. Carpets, curtains, and soft furnishings can all be particularly bad at harbouring pollen.
Wash your hands
Just like germs, pollen can be present on your hands and easily make contact with your face. Washing your hands regularly is a simple but effective method of preventing the effects of hay fever. Washing your hands and showering after being outdoors will remove allergens from your skin and hair. Similarly, changing your clothes after being outdoors, changing bedding regularly, and brushing down pets before they enter the house will help to reduce exposure to pollen.
Close the window
It can be tough in the summer to deprive yourself of a cool breeze wafting through the window but, most pollens peak around noon and early afternoon, so if you can keep doors and windows shut at those times, it should help to reduce the volume of pollen that enters the building.If it becomes too hot, try using a fan or air conditioning.
Avoid drying clothes outside
Hanging washing up outside to dry will allow your clothes to pick up pollen, which could cause a reaction when you come to wear them. As we mentioned, pollen levels tend to peak in the early afternoon, so if you must dry clothes outside, try to avoid these peak times.
Keep tissues to hand
When all else fails, make sure that you have tissues to hand when the symptoms hit. Although hay fever is not contagious, it does lead to sneezing. Not only is this inconvenient, but can also lead to other germs being spread through the air.
How CCS can help prevent hay fever
Believe it or not, allergies such as hay fever cost an estimated £7.1 billion in reduced Productivity annually in the UK economy alone. By following some of the tactics discussed above, and by ensuring that offices are cleaned and vacuumed thoroughly and regularly, we can help to reduce the impact of these allergies on your business.
If you would like more information on our contract cleaning services, please contact us on 0800 4488026
