Spring’s bright green buds and colorful blooms are a beautiful sight to see in the Triangle, but they have a major downside: pollen. It seems like every year, there’s one fateful morning when everything is suddenly covered in a yellowish-greenish dusting. Soon after, throats and eyes begin to itch and the sound of sneezing and runny noses fills the air.
On average, tree pollen season runs from late February/early March through May/June in central North Carolina. But it doesn’t always stop there – grass pollen can emerge in late spring/early summer and weed pollen in late summer/fall. If you don’t want to stay stuck inside with the windows closed for months on end, waiting for relief, there are some ways you can manage your exposure and still enjoy the outdoors.
Your best defense for enjoying the outdoors while keeping pollen at bay is a three-season porch featuring a vinyl window system, such as Eze-Breeze windows. A three-season room provides the full breezy benefits of a screened porch but with vinyl porch windows that can be closed whenever needed. If you have an open deck or porch, there isn’t much you can do beyond regularly cleaning the surface. (A quick spray from the garden hose may remove loose pollen, but if the pollen has been sitting for a while or has built up, a soap and water mix will be more effective). With a screened-in porch, screens may provide a minimal barrier but there are different strategies that can help you manage the pollen that gets through the mesh holes.
Tips for Managing Pollen On Your Screened Porch
Cover Furniture
Cover your patio furniture with drop cloths when it is not in use. This will protect the furniture from unwanted pollen stains and help you avoid creating a cloud of pollen dust when you sit down.
Store Cushions and Pillows
If your outdoor furniture has removable cushions, you may want to store them in a deck box or shed when not in use, for further protection from pollen stains and allergen absorption. Storing pillows, blankets, and other unessential fabric accessories is also recommended during pollen season.
Hang Curtains
Hang curtains to help block pollen from outside when your porch is not in use. (Make sure they are washable so you can clean them as needed throughout the season.) You may choose to keep the curtains up permanently for enhanced privacy or shade at other times during the year, or take them down and store them when pollen season ends.
Run Ceiling Fans
For porches with ceiling fans, running the fans on low during pollen season can help to keep pollen dust from settling on surfaces. Keep in mind though, running your fan on high could aggravate allergies by stirring up the pollen even more than normal.
Outdoor Mats or Shoe Removal
Keep outdoor mats at your porch entrances for cleaning off or removing shoes before entering your porch. Reducing pollen tracked in on shoes can reduce the amount of pollen dust across your porch floor (as well as the amount tracked inside your home).
Clean Frequently
With allergy season starting in early spring and potentially running into the fall (depending on what you are sensitive to), it can be beneficial to clean your screened-porch regularly. We recommend vacuuming screens, rugs, furniture, deck boards, and other surfaces to remove existing pollen and reduce the amount that can spread. Once loose pollen is removed, use a wet cloth on tables and solid surfaces and a mop on the porch floor to remove the remaining pollen residue.
If you’d like to build an outdoor living space that meets your needs with regard to seasonal pollen/allergies, call Archadeck of Raleigh-Durham today at 919-973-1523 to schedule a design consultation. Whether you are considering a screened porch or a more permanent pollen reduction solution such as a three-season room, we look forward to working with you!
