Allergy Season Dos and Don'ts

 

It's that time of year again! You're outside enjoying the fresh air, or inside taking in the warm sun, when you start to sneeze uncontrollably. Your eyes are watering, and your nose is running like a faucet. You have just been struck with an allergy attack, but it doesn't have to be this way.

With these dos and don'ts, you can survive allergy season in one piece:

 

Don’ts:

• Avoid outdoor activities during the day when pollen counts are high.
• Don't assume all pollen is the same. Some people are more sensitive to certain types of pollen than others. Find out what kind of pollen affects you the most to know when it's time to take precautions.
• Try not to leave your windows open all day or night to avoid allergens entering the house.
• Don't go outside without your allergy medication.
• Try not to exercise outdoors in the morning or evening when pollen levels are highest.

Dos:

• Use a humidifier to keep your home's humidity levels at 40% or below, as high humidity can exacerbate allergy symptoms such as sinusitis, congestion, sneezing, and coughing.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water to reduce the number of allergens that can make you sick.
• Make sure to change your air filters often so that allergens are not released into the air.
• Change your bedding often so that dust mites don't have time to build up and spread their allergens around the house.
• Remember that it's not just the outdoors that you need to worry about! Dust, pollen, and other allergens can build up in your air ducts and make the inside of your home unhealthy.

Why Get Your Air Ducts Cleaned This Allergy Season?

Why get your air ducts cleaned? Because they get dirty! In addition to normal accumulations of dust and dirt found in all homes through regular use, several other factors can increase the need for air duct cleaning:

• Pets
• Occupants with allergies or asthma
• Cigarette or cigar smoke
• Water contamination or damage to the HVAC system
• Home renovation or remodeling projects

Some occupants are more sensitive to these contaminants than others. Allergy and asthma sufferers, young children, and the elderly tend to be more susceptible to poor indoor air quality, which air duct cleanings can help address.

Get in Touch With us For All Your Air Duct Cleaning Needs

Getting your home and business ready for winter weather and protecting your heating can be time-consuming tasks, and it is often best to bring in some professionals to help. Contact GreenPro Cleaning and Restoration to take care of your ducts, attics, crawl spaces, and water damage.

3 Reasons Why Your Allergies Are Getting Worse

 

No matter the season, we are prone to allergies and allergy symptoms. Mother nature works wonders, many wonders being the main cause for your stuffy nose or congestion! Despite all this, there are seasons when these symptoms shouldn’t be as bad— however, homeowners still find themselves having to keep tissues close by all day long.

There are many reasons why, even when you’re indoors, your allergies are kicking up. And we here at Greenpro Cleaning and Restoration are here to break down the most common reasons.

 

Dust

Dust at home is perfectly normal and unavoidable. Now that temperatures are getting cooler and we’re keeping windows closed more often, it’s easy to trap yourself indoors with this allergen. If you notice some of your symptoms getting worse, it could just mean your home is due for a deep clean!

 

Mold

If you notice your allergy symptoms remain the same even after a good clean, it could mean you have mold growing somewhere secret. This could include areas such as under the sink, around appliances, and on the ceiling or walls. If you suspect you have mold growth or water damage anywhere in your home, don’t hesitate to contact professionals immediately!

 

Air Ducts

Over time, your home’s air ducts can fill with dust, debris, and creepy crawlers. If you’re having a hard time breathing normally at home, it could be because these contaminants are residing within your ducts. When was the last time you got your air ducts cleaned? If the answer to this question escapes you, you are most likely due for a scheduled cleaning.

And you can trust the professionals here at Greenpro Cleaning and Restoration to handle all your water damage and air duct cleaning needs!

 

Professional Cleaning and Restoration in Suffolk County

Cleaning and taking care of your home can be challenging to deal with, and it is often best to bring in some professionals to help. Contact GreenPro Cleaning and Restoration to take care of your ducts, attics, crawl spaces, and water damage needs.

3 Cleaning Secrets That Every Allergy-Sufferer Needs

For people with chronic allergies, a clean house is a must-have. What many people don’t know is that traditional cleaning methods may not be effective enough to reduce allergens and might even aggravate allergies instead of easing them. That’s why we’re going to talk about 3 golden pieces of cleaning knowledge specifically for those in need of a more hypoallergenic home.

Following this advice will help reduce the amount of pollen, mold spores, dust, and dander in your home that trigger annoying and uncomfortable allergy symptoms.

1. Invest in a well-sealed, quality vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter.

HEPA filters are designed to capture finer particles that would escape a normal vacuum cleaner. This makes them effective at trapping pet hair, dander, pollen, and even dust mites.

However, it isn’t enough for a vacuum cleaner to simply have a HEPA filter. If a vacuum cleaner leaks or if its gasket doesn’t seal properly, some of the particles being sucked up by the vacuum will escape back out into your air supply, making the HEPA filter useless.

In short, investing in a well-made vacuum cleaner can make a world of difference when it comes to trapping allergens.

2. Wash all of your bed linens weekly in water that’s at least 130 F.

The warm, humid environment of your bed makes it an inviting home for dust mites, as does the dander that collects on your bed linens. Dust mites feed primarily on human and pet dander, and they can cause allergic symptoms such as nasal congestion, sneezing, postnasal drip, itchy eyes, and itchy throat.

Simply washing your bed linens will not be enough to remove these parasites. The water must be at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit to actually kill dust mites. It’s also wise to invest in dust-mite-proof covers for your pillows, mattress, and box spring.

3. Use your kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans to reduce moisture.

A moist environment welcomes mold growth, which in turn leads to more mold spores that can pollute your indoor air. Run your bathroom fan for 45 minutes to an hour after showering. Run your kitchen fan while cooking and for at least 15 minutes after cooking. Not only will your kitchen fan help eliminate excess moisture, but it will also help remove harmful byproducts produced by your oven and stove while in use.

You Might Need an Air Duct Cleaning If…

If you own a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, at some point it’s going to need a thorough cleaning. It’s important to know what factors might be increasing your need for a professional cleaning sooner rather than later, and the information below can help!

You might need an air duct cleaning if...

…You Have Pets

If you have pets, they are most likely spending a lot of time indoors, especially during the colder months of the year. What you might not know is that your pet is continuously dropping off pet dander that can travel all over your house, wherever your pet goes, wherever you go, and wherever there’s an air vent--basically everywhere.

Dander itself is skin flakes that all animals produce, and dander--not hair--is what causes people with animal-related allergies to have an allergic reaction. Over time, your pet’s dander will find its way into your air ducts, where it will collect and be released by your HVAC throughout each room of your house. As a result, your home air quality will start to diminish.

...You Have Allergies or Even Asthma

Literally millions of Americans suffer from allergies and asthma. On an annual basis, 50 million Americans are suffering from allergies, and 24 million are affected by asthma. So what does this have to do with air ducts?

As you can probably guess, components of your HVAC system can become coated with dust, allergens, spores, and other irritants that then get pushed out into your home, affecting its air quality. If you suffer from allergies and asthma, having clean air ducts may help lessen the volume of air particles triggering your symptoms.

...Children or Elderly Individuals Live in Your House

Children and the elderly can be especially susceptible to the harmful effects of poor air quality. While many people may know this, research from the American Lung Association has revealed that 87% of Americans don’t know that the indoor air in most American homes is actually more polluted than the air outdoors. Keeping this in mind, it’s also important to remember that children and the elderly--especially those with respiratory or cardiovascular diseases--are probably spending more time indoors than anyone else.

Before welcoming a newborn baby or an elderly parent into your home, you may want to inspect the cleanliness of your HVAC system to help ensure a cleaner living space and prevent allergic reactions and illness.

...Someone in Your Household Smokes Indoors

While smoking can be detrimental to your health, it can also increase your need for an air duct cleaning. Unfortunately, when someone smokes indoors, the smoke doesn’t have many places to go. It’s almost a certainty that it will be pulled through your air ducts and that the smell will start to saturate your home. Even if you are not particularly bothered by the smell, the smoke particles are also going to be forced back into the home by the HVAC system, which could cause guests to become ill or suffer an allergic reaction or asthma attack.

It’s perfectly normal for your air ducts to need a professional cleaning from time to time. At GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration, we provide comprehensive air duct cleaning services, including inspections, cleaning of entire HVAC systems and their components, and anti-microbial treatments registered with EPA. If you have any of the four factors listed above, contact us to schedule an inspection.

Top Ways Outside Allergens Are Brought Indoors

Top Ways Outside Allergens Are Brought Indoors

When outdoor allergens migrate into your home, they can cause red, itchy, eyes, sinus congestion, sneezing, runny noses, headaches and all kinds of misery.

Calling in the professionals at Green Pro Cleaning & Restoration can help eliminate outdoor allergens and end the misery.

How Outdoor Allergens Get Inside Homes

Allergy sufferers usually do as much as they can to keep a barrier between themselves and the outdoor allergens that make their lives miserable. Unfortunately, there are many ways irritating outdoor allergens make their way into your home without you being aware of them.

We at Green Pro Cleaning & Restoration want to help our neighbors in Suffolk County and Nassau County become aware of some ways outdoor allergens get into their homes and encourage them to call us to thoroughly clean their homes to remove them.

Outdoor allergens get indoors through:

1. Open Windows And Doors

Every time you open and close your doors, outdoor allergens have the opportunity to come in, especially in spring and summer. If you use electric fans while the windows are open, outdoor allergens will spread throughout your home.

2. On Your Clothing

One of the most common ways allergens can get into your home is on your clothing. Pollen and other types of outdoor allergens are always being carried around by the wind and deposited on your clothing. When you walk into your home, you bring it with you.

3. Mowing The Lawn

Whenever someone mows the lawn, a lot of outdoor allergens are thrown into the air and on to their hair and clothing. When that person comes into the house, the allergens come with them.

4. Gardening

Just a few minutes spent puttering around in the garden can leave a person covered in outdoor allergens. Unless that person removes the clothing they are wearing while still outside, those allergens will hitch a ride indoors on them.

5. Using Outdoor Clotheslines

Clothes drying on outdoor clotheslines act like a magnet for pollen and other outdoor elements the can cause allergic reactions. Drying your clothes using a vented dry will help to keep outside allergens from invading your home.

If you want to eliminate the outdoor allergens that have accumulated in your home, contact Green Pro Cleaning & Restoration. We know exactly what to do to get rid of the outdoor allergens that have slipped into your home and are making you miserable.

Which Issues Arise If You Don’t Treat Mold?

Exposure to black mold can cause a lot of health problems, so it’s a good idea to be proactive about properly dealing with the mold in your home rather than suffering from unfortunate consequences.

You might mistakenly think that because black mold is such an ordinary thing in parts of North America that it’s not really a major issue, but the truth is that a mold infestation is something that you should treat properly because not doing so is a serious threat to your health.

Black mold often appears after water damage in a home - there will be telltale black spots and a distinct musty smell. Upon closer inspection, these spots will be dusty and will tend to spread mostly in damp areas. Since drywall and carpets are particularly great at holding in moisture (and particularly common in modern American construction), these are hotspots for mold growth.

Some people have allergies, and mold can be an allergen that irritates your sinuses and causes cold-like symptoms if you live in a house with it. If you feel like you have sinusitis, it could simply be due to black mold exposure. If you have an incurable cough or sinusitis that doesn’t respond to treatment, the cause could easily be mold exposure.

The longer a person is exposed to mold, the worse that these symptoms will become. If you discover black mold and are suffering from any discernible symptoms of poisoning, go to a doctor and call in professionals to clean it up. Prolonged exposure can be fatal, and it will make your life pretty unpleasant in the meantime.

If you have a mold infestation, it’s obviously paramount to have it dealt with properly. For that, you can count on the services of Green Pro Cleaning and Restoration to make your home safe again.

If you’re suffering from water damage or the resulting mold in your Suffolk County home, Green Pro Cleaning can help undo any such damages and make your home look like new again. They’re your best local option, and with a friendly and professional staff, you won’t regret choosing Green Pro.

The Real Reason You Suffer from Indoor Allergies

Most people welcome spring with open arms, but if you suffer from allergies, this season can be a nightmare. Many of us seek shelter in the sanctuary of our homes, but sometimes even that isn't enough.

But why? There are no trees or flowers spreading pollen around your living room, yet you still can't escape the constant sneezing and sniffling.

If you can't seem to shake your allergies, your air ducts may be to blame.

An afterthought for most homeowners, air ducts are a common hiding place for many allergens such as pet dander, dust, pollen, and mold. These contaminants can enter your air ducts in a variety of ways.

• Take dust for example: the average three-bedroom home generates over 40 pounds of dust per year through everyday activities. Much of this can get sucked into your vents and collect in your ducts.
• Pollen, on the other hand, commonly enters through your fresh air intake.
• Pet dander can be found in abundance in air ducts. Even if you don't have pets, dander could still be present from a previous homeowner.
• Mold can grow virtually anywhere moisture is present. The inside of air ducts are often wet with condensation due to the cold air passing through them. The dust provides food for the mold, and the dark environment is the perfect climate for it to thrive.

No matter how the pollutants get in your ducts, they can use them as a transportation system to spread throughout your entire home. This could be the reason you experience your outdoor allergy symptoms, even when you are inside.

If you are looking to improve the air quality in your home, experts recommend having your air ducts professionally cleaned every 3-5 years. If you are overdue for a cleaning for your Long Island home, contact the experts at GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration at (631) 940-8100.