Summer Allergies – How to alleviate sniffles in the office?

Summer is just around the corner.  April showers gave way to May flowers and they brought with them a wave of summer allergies.  For some, this time of year can be brutally tough.  Here are some ways you can help minimize the effects of the season.

• Keep air circulating in your area; perhaps use a small personal fan
• Keep your area well dusted. This is where a good janitorial firm comes in. Using microfiber dust cloths helps to catch dust rather than spreading it around
• Keep the carpets and upholstery well vacuumed. Again, a good janitorial firm uses triple-filtered HEPA vacuums that trap dust and not leak particulates back into your environment
• Having the carpets professionally cleaned regularly is a good idea to keep summer allergies at bay
• Make sure your janitorial firm is cleaning all the building’s air vents monthly
• Clean the blinds. They are a huge collector of dust and are often overlooked

A few other tips from the EPA on how to help improve air quality in your office:

• Do not block air vents or grilles
• Comply with the office and building smoking policy
• Water and maintain office plants properly. Healthy plants create healthy air
• Dispose of garbage promptly and properly and keep a lid on it
• Store food properly
• Avoid bringing products into the building that could release harmful or bothersome odors or contaminants
• Notify your building or facility manager immediately if you suspect an indoor air quality problem