How Pressure Washing Can Save You From Allergies

Sneezing, itchy eyes, congestion, and coughing – all signs of seasonal allergies. Spring and fall can often be prime time for people’s allergy symptoms to crop up, due to certain plants or weather conditions. Though it’s improbable that you can remove all of the causes from your area, pressure washing can actually play a big part in keeping you from suffering the effects of bad seasonal allergies.

Where Seasonal Allergies Come From

Allergies broadly are your immune system overreacting to something, called an allergen, that most people don’t have problems with. When you get seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever, it means that your body is reacting to something in your environment, usually from natural elements. Here are some common allergens:

• Pollen: Pollen comes from plants, like trees, grass, bushes, and weeds. When this pollen gets into the air, often because of wind kicking it up, then it can cause an allergic reaction. Many people are allergic to the pollen from trees like cedar, oak, walnut, maple, and birch.
  
• Mold and Dust: Similar to pollen, if dust gets in the air, then some people may experience symptoms of allergies. Mold can also release spores which get into people’s respiratory systems and lead to unfortunate reactions. Though dust and mold can cause allergies year round, there are certain times during the year when moisture or wind can kick up the dust particles and spores more than normal.
  
• Pet Dander: If you or the people around you own pets, then you may experience an allergic reaction to the furry friends. This is because proteins in the animal’s skin cells, saliva, or urine is something that your immune system is fighting against. If the pet sheds frequently or you come into contact with its fur, then this can often result in allergies.

What is Pressure Washing?

Pressure washing, also known as power washing, is a type of cleaning that has been increasing in popularity due to how fast and efficient it is. It uses the high pressure of a jet of water to blast away dirt, grime, and other forms of build up. Pressure washing is used on all kinds of surfaces: driveways, sidewalks, fences, patios, outdoor furniture, house exteriors, and others.

Some people will rent pressure washers to help clean surfaces or hire professional cleaners to take care of the cleaning for them.

How Pressure Washing Helps Your Allergies

Because of a pressure washer’s strength, it can easily remove contaminants from a surface or area, allowing for you to breathe more freely. Though it is mostly used on outdoor surfaces, pressure washing can also help you not feel the symptoms of seasonal allergies indoors. Oftentimes, the pollen, spores, or dander that are found outside can get tracked in by people or animals, or even simply through open doors and windows. Therefore, cleaning and removing allergens outside can help people feel more comfortable indoors without worrying about symptoms. Because spring and fall are the most common times that people experience seasonal allergies, it’s a good idea to hire a cleaning company that uses pressure cleaning during these times.

Preventative Measures

Though pressure washing can help take care of allergies for a time, it is important to do your due diligence to reduce risk of seasonal allergies impacting you. There are some steps that you can ensure you do regularly:

1. Keep windows and doors of your house and car closed during allergy season.
2. Shower or change your clothes after spending time outdoors.
3. Wear a filtered mask to help your breathing when you’re outdoors.
4. Do your own personal research or see an allergist to help identify what the source of your allergies is.
5. Monitor spore and pollen count in the area and avoid time outside when the count is high.
6. Pressure wash and clean your home often to reduce risk of allergens being in your home.

Emerald City Window Cleaning has a wide variety of pressure washing services that can take care of cleaning surfaces that may have contaminants. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, reach out to us to get your home back to feeling comfortable and allergy-free.