Spring in Lincoln should mean enjoying warmer weather and enjoying more time outdoors. Instead, for many residents, it means putting up with pollen allergies.

If you have spring allergies, you know how draining that pollen in your home can make you feel. Constant sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, sinus headaches and congestion can make everyday life miserable. If you have asthma, pollen can also trigger wheezing, chest tightness and trouble breathing.

Your home should be an escape from all that. However, pollen doesn’t stay outside. It follows you indoors, causing poor indoor air quality in your Lincoln home —triggering the allergy symptoms that make you miserable.

The good news is, there are proven ways to get rid of indoor pollen problems in the spring. A combination of pollen season prep and professional indoor air quality solutions can solve your allergy problems and make itchy eyes and sneezing in the spring a thing of the past.

Why Pollen Is a Problem in Lincoln, Nebraska

Pollen released from trees, grass and weeds is a major spring problem in Lincoln. Why does this pollen impact indoor air quality?

It enters your home and settles into carpets, furniture, bedding and air ducts. Once inside, pollen can circulate in the air through an unfiltered HVAC system. As it circulates, it can cause constant allergy flare-ups.

How Pollen Gets In Your Home

Many homeowners are surprised to learn just how much pollen is in their home. It makes its way through open windows and doors, hitches a ride on your pets and even can be pulled in by a poorly filtered HVAC system. Even if you keep your doors and windows closed, pollen still can get into your home. You can track it inside on your shoes and clothing. Cracks around your doors and windows even let pollen in.

Once inside, pollen moves throughout through your Lincoln home. Understanding how to how to reduce pollen in homes means stopping it from getting in your home whenever possible and then removing it from circulation if it does.

DIY Pollen Reduction Tips That Make A Difference

  • Replace your HVAC filters regularly. Clean filters remove pollen and allergens from the air circulating throughout your home.
  • Make sure your windows are closed on heavy pollen count days. Open windows allow significant levels of pollen indoors.
  • Wash your hair and change clothes after being outside. Pollen clings to your hair, skin and clothing, and you can accidentally spread that pollen onto your pillows, bedding and furniture
  • Vacuum using a HEPA filter. Vacuums that use HEPA filters help catch tiny pollen particles hidden in carpets and furniture.
  • Clean your shoes on doormats and don’t wear shoes inside your house. Shoes transport pollen, dirt and other debris throughout your home.
  • Consistently groom pets. Pets bring pollen indoors on their fur, which they can then transfer to your bedding, carpets and furniture.

Upgrade Your HVAC System for Better Indoor Air Quality

Your HVAC system is an extremely effective way to boost your home’s the air quality in your home.These professional, whole-home indoor air quality solutions lower allergens, improve airflow and make your home feel more pleasant throughout allergy season.

High-Efficiency Air Filters

High-efficiency HVAC filters help remove particles like pollen, dust and pet dander from your home’s air. You can review filters using MERV ratings, which are numbers that measure how effectively a filter captures airborne particles. Filters with higher MERV ratings can trap smaller particles. Many homeowners searching for the best air filters for allergies choose high-efficiency air filters because they are very effective at reducing indoor air contaminants.

Whole-Home Air Purifiers

Whole-home air filtration systems work in conjunction with your HVAC system to clean the air throughout your entire home. Unlike portable air purifiers that only treat indoor air quality issues in one room, whole-home air purification systems continuously remove microscopic particles like pollen, dust and pet dander as air circulates through your ductwork. This creates a whole-home solution to your allergy issues.

Humidity Control

Spring humidity in Lincoln can also trigger your allergies by promoting mold and mildew growth. Ideally, your home's humidity should be between 30-50 percent. Whole-home humidity control systems operate alongside your HVAC system to control moisture levels throughout your house. In humid months, they reduce excess moisture like a dehumidifier. In winter, they add moisture back into dry air. Unlike portable dehumidifiers that only work in one room, whole-home systems are a way toboost indoor air quality in the spring in your full home.

UV Air Purification

UV air purification systems help reduce mold spores, bacteria and certain viruses traveling through your HVAC system. Unlike filters that only capture particles like pollen and pet dander, UV systems also use ultraviolet light to neutralize biological contaminants.

When comparing an air purifier vs air filter for HVAC systems, remember that filters are for particles whiles purifiers have additional advanced technology to clean pollutants you might not be able to see. When used with filtration and humidity control, UV purification can help create cleaner, healthier air inside your home.

Signs Your Home Needs IAQ Improvements

Your home may have indoor air quality problems if you constantly deal with allergy symptoms indoors like sneezing, coughing, congestion, headaches or red, itchy eyes. Other indicators of poor indoor air quality in your Lincoln home include dust buildup even with frequent cleaning, musty smells, poor airflow and rooms that feel stuffy or humid. If your symptoms disappear when you leave the house, that’s a strong sign your indoor air may be the issue.

Professional IAQ Services That Solve Pollen Problems

DIY solutions can help minimize pollen indoors, but alone they don’t fully resolve the problem. If you suffer from spring pollen allergies, even small amounts of pollen can make you miserable. That is where advanced HVAC air quality solutions can help. An indoor air quality assessment detects allergens and pollutants in your home so an HVAC professional can recommend filtration or purification solutions to finally solve your pollen problem.

Other ways are available to clean other allergens from your air, including duct cleaning. For allergies like pollen, dust and pet dander, cleaning debris out of your home’s air ducts can be a major benefit. Seasonal HVAC maintenance also ensures that your system filters pollutants effectively and also helps extend the life of your system.

For many Lincoln residents, professional services like filtration, purification, duct cleaning and humidity control finally deliver the spring allergies home solutions they’ve been waiting for.

Get Ahead of Spring Pollen in Lincoln

Prevention and professional solutions are the smartest way to eliminate spring allergies. You can help by using DIY tips to limit pollen indoors. To fully solve your pollen problem, work with an HVAC professional like the team at AW Heating & Air Conditioning. We have expert knowledge and advanced tools to enhance your indoor air quality, so you can breathe refreshing, pollen-free air all spring.

We also can keep levels in from becoming a problem in the first place with professional pollen season prep in Lincoln. Schedule an IAQ consultation online or call 402-438-7992 today to schedule service with AW Heating & Air Conditioning.