The exact time of day to hang out your bed sheets and towels to avoid the dreaded pollen bomb of hay fever symptoms
WITH the sun shining more it can be very tempting to hang your laundry out to dry in the garden.
However, experts are warning people against drying their sheets outdoors as it could leave them feeling awful.
A sizzling heatwave is on the horizon for Brits this month, which will please most sun lovers.
And many people will love the chance to hang their wet washing outside and let it dry naturally.
However, experts have warned against this if you have hay fever, as it could lead to symptoms including itchy eyes, a runny nose, and sneezing – getting worse.
Tiny articles of pollen can stick to everything including your hair and clothes and once it gets inside your home it can settle on sofas, carpets, and bedding.
Allergy expert, Deborah Grayson, working with appliance brand Hisense, explained: “When you hang clothes up outside during high pollen season.
“They act as a pollen net as fabrics can trap microscopic particles easily, especially in heavier weaves like towels or bed linen.
“When you bring your laundry inside, you bring those allergens straight into your living space and for sensitive individuals, that’s enough to trigger hours – if not days – of dreaded symptoms.”
Grayson said that drying clothes and bedding in a tumble dryer can cost more in electricity than hanging your clothes outside.
But that “For someone battling allergies, the trade off isn’t always worth it”.
However, she explained that if you do want to dry your clothes outside, you should hang them out earlier in the day.
“Pollen counts rise in the morning, peaking at midday and then start to fall.
“Drying clothes early in the morning and not leaving them out all day can be really helpful,” she explained.
Dr Lindsay Browning, psychologist, neuroscientist and sleep expert at And So To Bed, provided other tips on how to keep hay fever at bay this summer.
How to know if you have Hay Fever
Hay Fever is usually worse between late March and September, especially when it's warm, humid and windy. This is when the pollen count is at its highest.
Hay Fever can last for weeks or months, unlike a cold, which usually goes away after one to two weeks.
Typical symptoms include:
- Frequent sneezing
- Runny or blocked nose
- Itchy, red or watery eyes (allergic conjunctivitis)
- An itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears
- Cough, caused by postnasal drip (mucus dripping down the throat from the back of the nose)
Less commonly, you may also experience:
- The loss of your sense of smell (anosmia)
- Facial pain (caused by blocked sinuses)
- Headaches
- Earache
- Tiredness and fatigue
If you have asthma, your asthma symptoms may get worse when you have hay fever.
Keep your head elevated
Symptoms associated with an allergy are usually worse at night.
This is because when we lie down, the mucus cannot drain in the same way it would when gravity is helping, leading to disturbed breathing or a cough caused by a post-nasal drip.
For this reason, you should aim to keep your head slightly elevated at night if you are struggling with allergies.
This will bring gravity back into the mix, allowing excess mucus to drain and not pool and lessening the irritation.
Shower before bed
Taking a shower before bed will wash away any pollen that may have clung to your skin and hair from outside. Instead of transferring this onto your bed linen, make a habit of washing yourself before bed.
This is also a great tip for when we still start to experience warmer evenings again as a cool, not cold, shower will help to lower your body temperature making it easier to drift off to sleep.
Keep windows closed during the day
It might be tempting to open the window a fraction to let some fresh air in on a sunny spring day, however, if you’re a hay fever sufferer, you try to keep your windows and doors closed to prevent pollen from entering your home.
Having your windows open during the day will allow pollen particles to blow in and settle on your clothes, bedding and other soft furnishings within your room, making your symptoms much worse when it comes to bedtime.
Invest in an air purifier
Investing in an air purifier is useful for those with hay fever as it will remove pollen and dust particles from the air that trigger your symptoms.
This can be extremely beneficial for clearing your sinuses, which should allow you to fall asleep quicker and more comfortably as a result.
Elsewhere, an allergy expert recently revealed the 8 things all hay fever sufferers need to do.
Plus, here are four cheap tricks to beat hay fever season without breaking the bank.
Meanwhile, the Met Office has warned of hay fever hell approaching, with pollen levels swarming to ‘high’ in much of the UK from today.
And finally, the 6p supplement that will help prevent the agonising symptoms of hay fever.