Top Ways to Improve Your IAQ This Spring

The calendar says spring is here, but for many Lawton-area homeowners, the season is already confirmed by one thing: Pollen season has begun in Oklahoma. With cedar pollen counts soaring and Bradford pears flowering, you might be experiencing that classic love-hate relationship with spring. You want to enjoy the nice weather, but sneezing, sniffling, and aching eyes have other plans.

We hear you. As your knowledgeable, neighborly experts at Pippin Brothers, we want to help you survive spring allergy season in Lawton, OK. For long-term relief, you basically need to tackle two simple things: prevent allergy symptoms before they start, and treat yourself once they begin. While we don’t prescribe medicine, we specialize in the first part, preventing allergens from wreaking havoc on your comfort by ensuring you have the cleanest, healthiest air possible inside your home.

This spring, don’t let allergens like pollen, dust, pet dander, and mold keep you trapped indoors. Now is the time to clear the air.

1. Simple Daily Habits to Keep Pollen Out of Your Home

The majority of allergens that affect you indoors actually originate outside. By making a few simple adjustments to your daily routine, you can significantly reduce the amount of pollen and dust you track inside, giving you relief from symptoms like a stuffy nose and itchy eyes.

• Mind the Pollen Count: The amount of pollen in the air varies each day, usually peaking on dry, windy days and dropping on rainy days. Go outside less on days with a high pollen count.
• Prevent Dust and Debris Entry: More than 60% of the dust inside your home originates outdoors. Use a doormat outside and an entry rug inside, and remember to take off your shoes before entering your house to stop extra dust from being tracked in.
• Rinse Off the Day: Showering at night helps remove pollen from your hair and skin before you go to bed. Also, be sure to wash your sheets weekly in hot water; you don’t want to sleep with pollen in your linens.
• Use the Right Cleaning Tools: When cleaning, use products and tools designed to trap dust and pollen, not just push it around. Dust weekly using a wet mop and wet cloths, as these pick up particles better than dry ones.
• Wear a Mask for Outdoor Chores: We can't avoid yardwork forever! Wear a high-quality face mask to keep your allergy symptoms to a minimum while you’re outside.

2. Essential Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Upgrades

To truly combat seasonal allergies, you need your home’s systems to work for you. Improving your home’s ventilation and filtration system is critical to maintaining high indoor air quality (IAQ).

• Upgrade Your Vacuum: Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a HEPA filter traps at least 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, which includes most dust and pollen.
• Check and Clean Your HVAC Filter: Make sure you regularly change or clean your HVAC system air filter at least every 30 days. Clean air filters keep particulates out of the air and also protect your heating and cooling equipment.
• Clean Vents and Ducts: Sometimes, allergens enter your home from under your house and attic. A good solution is to ensure your air ducts are properly sealed. Your Pippin Brothers technician is trained to inspect and repair your air ducts, preventing contaminants from entering while improving the efficiency of your system. While we’re at it, don’t forget small steps like cleaning the dirt from bathroom vents as well.

3. Applying a Diagnostic-First Approach to Whole-Home Solutions

If you’re concerned about the quality of the air inside your home, especially if you're battling allergies in Lawton, Fort Sill, or Duncan, OK, it’s time to move beyond simple filters. At Pippin Brothers, we believe in a diagnostic-first approach to air quality. We start with a full Air Quality Analysis to determine exactly what you are concerned about and to determine the best methods of treatment and purification.

Once we understand the problem, we implement whole-home solutions designed to give you continuous relief:

• Whole-Home Air Cleaners: Install a whole-home air cleaner in your home. An air cleaner is a mega-awesome version of a standard air filter. While an air filter only catches large particles and protects your AC system, an air cleaner can catch 99% of airborne particles, giving relief to those with allergies, asthma, and other respiratory illnesses.

• Air Purifiers and UV Germicidal Lamps: We provide several air quality products, including air cleaners, air purifiers, and UV germicidal lamps that help kill airborne bacteria. Since most people spend nearly 90% of their time indoors, guaranteeing the air you breathe is clean is one of the best investments you can make.

   

Pippin Brothers has been the Lawton-area’s most trusted heating, air conditioning, and plumbing company, serving homeowners in Lawton, Fort Sill, and Duncan, OK since 1978. Whether you need an air quality analysis to identify problem areas, professional duct sealing in Lawton, or even specialized services like water heater repair in Duncan, OK, our local team is here to help. We are your reliable, knowledgeable partner in ensuring every part of your home is comfortable, safe, and efficient.

Want to keep your home's air clean? Ask our experts. Call 580-699-5662 to schedule your free estimate with Pippin Brothers today.