Are you looking forward to spring, or are you already afraid of allergies, which attack with incredible regularity during this period? If you prefer to hide in the safety of the apartment, you should remember that there is also an inconspicuous but more persistent enemy lurking here. They are classic horizontal blinds. Don’t you believe?
Even though we usually perceive blinds as a practical accessory for shielding and ensuring privacy, immunologists see them as unnecessary effective dirt collectors – and therefore also pollen and other allergens, which spring is teeming with. So if you wake up in the morning with puffy eyes and a stuffy nose, the culprit may not only be the blooming birch tree outside the window, but dust deposit close to the windows.
For example, clean the blinds according to the following YouTube video from HomeAdvisor:
Dozens of tiny shelves
The problem with horizontal blinds is in their construction itself. Each individual slat essentially functions as small shelfon which fine particles settle undisturbed. It is not just ordinary household dust. The blinds are placed directly at the source – i.e. at the windows, where outdoor smog, industrial emissions and, above all, flow into the apartment. They then stick to the slats thanks electrostatic charge. With every slightest movement, retracting or pulling out the blinds, this is hardly noticeable, but still dangerous a cocktail of allergens, stirred into the airwhich we breathe.
Active pollen even for months
Experts warn that these particles are much more dangerous indoors than outdoors. While outside the pollen can be washed away by the rain, it remains on the blinds active and irritable for weeks and months. If you suffer from hay fever, dealing with dusty blinds is basically like washing your face with a handful of allergens. For sensitive individuals and asthmatics, staying in a room with such shading can be a source chronic irritation.
Forget the duster
So how to get out of this situation if you don’t want to give up the shadow? The first step to a safe environment is major change in maintenance. You will need those that just pick up the dust and scatter it around the room. A much better and more effective method is a damp cloth with a little detergent. This will really remove the dust and pollen grains. If there is also an allergy sufferer in the family, it will be appropriate to perform such a cleansing ritual at least once a weekespecially during peak pollen season.
Horizontal blinds are a good choice
If you are just thinking about blinds, it will be appropriate to search mainly smooth and easily washable materials. Modern ones are also a more suitable choice vertical blinds or smooth blinds from materials that do not attract dust. Vertical surfaces are much less prone to dirt build-up than horizontal ones. Home should be a place where your body can rest from outdoor pollution. The moment we underestimate the selection and maintenance of window shades, we create a storehouse of substances inside that unnecessarily overload the immune system. So get rid of the old dust collectors and, if at all possible, replace them with a solution that allows everyone to take a deep breath.
