UK households are being urged to wash and change their clothes in the morning and at night this week as a heatwave arrives in the UK. The Met Office says temperatures will slowly climb over the coming days, reaching highs of 34C in parts of eastern England by Saturday. The heatwave conditions coincide with “very high” pollen levels this week, particularly on Friday and Saturday. A red pollen alert covers almost the entire UK on Friday, with levels remaining high into the weekend for much of the country.
The bout of hot weather spells bad news for hay fever sufferers who will likely see unpleasant symptoms worsen over this week, including blocked or runny noses, headaches, sneezing and itchy eyes. Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure for hay fever, but it is possible to manage symptoms with preventative measures, including simply washing and changing your clothes.
Pollen is a sticky substance and it clings to your skin, hair and clothes when you’re outside, as well as furnishings inside if you leave your windows and doors open. So to help combat this, experts recommend changing your clothing every time after being outside.
As pollen clings to your clothes, it’s best to put them straight into the wash so you’re removing any lingering particles from your bedroom which can make symptoms worse indoors, particularly at night. Experts also advise showering after being outside too to rid your hair and skin of any pollen.
AEG says: “We should be mindful that we may be collecting pollen particles wherever we go, both on our clothes, but also in our hair and skin. Therefore, it’s not a bad idea to wash all clothes more often in the summer months when the pollen count is at its highest, but also get yourself in the shower a little more often than you might do normally. This will not only help you cool down, but also wash away those pesky pollen particles.
“Our bedding can be another key place where pollen particles can collect, particularly as we spend a lot of time face-to-pillowcase. In the summer months, it’s advisable to wash our bedding more than normal so that when we jump under the covers at the end of the day, we’re not facing even more allergens.
“You might also want to consider taking clothes off ahead of entering the bedroom and washing hair ahead of climbing into bed. This means that any pollen particles that may be clinging to us aren’t brought into the bed ready to agitate us later.”
Allergy UK adds: “On high pollen days, shower and wash your hair after arriving home and change your clothing (as pollen is virtually indestructible unless wet, so will stay on hair, body and clothing).”
Of course if you don’t want to spend your day doing the washing, it’s advised that you put clothing into a sealed laundry bag or basket until they are ready to be washed to avoid particles spreading around your house. Experts say clothes and bedding should be washed at a temperature of at least 60C to help remove traces of pollen.
Laundryheap explains: “Bedding should be washed every 1-2 weeks, but if you suffer from hay fever you must make sure to wash it every week. It is very easy for pollen and dust to become trapped in your bedding and, if not washed every week, it can build up.
“This could cause more severe hay fever symptoms and a loss of sleep. For the best results, wash your bedding at 60 degrees and wait until it is completely dry to put back on your bed.”
It adds: “Throughout hay fever season make sure that you are consistently washing your bedding and clothing.”