Tips to combat allergies in the spring
With spring approaching, Chris Michael, Director of Meaco, the UK’s leading air purifier specialist, gives his tips on relieving the suffering caused from a variety of allergies
About 35% of the population will be affected by one form of allergy or another at some stage in their lives. In children this figure is estimated to be as high as 50%. Many of the causes are airborne.
Hay fever is one of the most commonly known allergies, affecting around a quarter of the population. According to the NHS 95% of hay fever sufferers in the UK are allergic to grass pollen, and about a quarter of sufferers are also allergic to tree pollen. The Met Office official pollen count monitoring service runs from late March when tree pollen starts, through the grass pollen season in mid-May and finishing at the end of September when the weed pollen finishes. In reality, the pollen season can start as early as January!
Other common allergies come from dust mites, mould spores and pet dander which can trigger various responses from respiratory reactions like asthma and eczema skin reactions. The severity of the reaction varies from person to person.
For many people spring means the start of many months of suffering. But there are actions that can be taken to mitigate the symptoms of allergies.
- See your doctor before the season starts so that you have your medication right before the allergies start.
- Get used to checking the pollen count on a daily basis so that you can plan your day.
- Avoid drying clothes outside when the count is high as the pollen with stick to the clothes.
- Plan outdoor activities after any rain as the pollen count is lower after a shower.
- When you come home change your clothes so that you are not wearing clothes with pollen indoors and allowing the pollen to spread around the house.
- Spring clean the house before spring so you are not sneezing and suffering whilst disturbing dust.
- Clean mould in the bathroom regularly to avoid the spread of mould spores.
- Ensure you have good ventilation in the bathroom and kitchen to remove excess moisture to avoid damp.
- Lower damp levels mean less mould spores and dust mites, if necessary buy a dehumidifier to reduce moisture levels.
- Make your bedroom an allergy free haven where you can rest and get a good night’s sleep. Air purifiers provide a solution that can provide relief from these allergens. An Allergy UK Approved air purifier like the highly regarded MeacoClean CA-HEPA 76×5 can make the difference.
Tips for choosing an air purifier
It is vital that you select the right model, as buying the wrong one will mean you will not feel the benefits.
Match your allergy to the filter
Decide what you want to remove from the air and then match that to the air purifiers filters.
For example, a HEPA filter is excellent at removing particles from the air like dust, pet dander and smoke particles. To remove smells though you need a Charcoal filter and to destroy bacteria you need and ultra violet system (UVC).
Match your room size to the air purifier’s air flow
Most people try to save money by buying a cheaper air purifier to ‘give it a go’ and end up with an air purifier that is too small for the room that they need to clean and therefore ineffective.
To avoid this problem, measure the length, width and height of your room to give you the cubic air volume of the room. Match this number up with the air flow of the air purifier.
The factor of 3
You should be able to divide your room size into the air purifiers air flow at least three times (make sure that you match cubic metres with cubic metres and feet with feet). This will mean that the air in the room is being cleaned three times an hour. If your allergy is bad go for 5 times an hour and if the condition is severe then use a factor of 7.
Let the air purifier do its job
Let the air purifier run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Put it on high fan speed when you are not in the room and turn it down to one of the quieter fan speeds when you are in the room if you wish. The more often the air passes over the filter the cleaner the air will become.
Meaco recently launched the MeacoClean, a next generation air purification range, that works to clean the air and relieve the suffering caused by pollen.
For the first time, the new MeacoClean range offers a bespoke air purification experience to suit the allergy and room size, so improving the air quality in a home by selecting the right product to suit the personal needs. The MeacoClean comes in two sizes. The larger MeacoClean CA-HEPA the smaller MeacoClean CA-HEPA 76×5 works in rooms up to 76m³. The more often the air from a room goes through the air purifier each hour, the cleaner the air will become.
Products featured: MeacoClean Air Purifiers, MeacoClean CA-HEPA 76×5
