With the arrival of warmer days, many of us automatically hang the washed laundry for fresh air. While the smell of wind-dried clothes is tempting, experts warn that the habit can have extremely unpleasant consequences. Your laundry works as a perfect pollen trap, reports the Mirror.
Gardener José María admits that although he himself does not suffer from allergies, he perceives the enormous amount of pollen in the air very intensely. “It gets in my eyes, in my nose, I can physically feel it,” he says. His profession gives him a unique perspective on the problem. “I see people with red eyes, barely breathing and having to wear masks. Many families struggle with allergies precisely because they dry sheets and towels outside, and the pollen simply sticks to them.” he said on a Spanish radio show.
This opinion is shared by other experts. “When you hang your clothes outside during peak pollen season, they act as a pollen net. Fabrics, especially those with a coarser texture like towels or bedding, can trap microscopic particles very easily.” protects allergist Deborah Grayson.
Owena Cleary, director of CPR First Aid Training, agrees. “One of the most common mistakes people make is drying things outside when the pollen concentration is high. The fabric collects the pollen, which you then bring directly home and sleep on at night.” she stated for Darling magazine.
According to the Met Office the risk depends on the specific season and type of pollen. Tree pollen comes first, it usually bothers allergy sufferers from the end of March to the middle of May. It affects about 25% of people. Grass pollen is the most common trigger of allergies. It has two peaks – the first begins in the first half of June, the second, slightly weaker, in the first two weeks of July. It gradually decreases.
Weed pollen can appear at any time, but its main season lasts from the end of June to September. The amount of pollen also depends on the location. In general, values are lower in cities than in the countryside, while inland areas have higher pollen concentrations than coastal areas.
