With pollen levels starting to soar, people up and down the country may find themselves suffering from hay fever. ITV News recently confirmed that 2025 is shaping up to be one of the worst hay fever seasons in years. However, you don’t have to suffer through weeks and even months of blocked sinuses, streaming eyes, and scratchy throats.
Nigel Bearman, home cleaning expert and founder of Daily Poppins, has shared a simple, expert-backed cleaning tip that can genuinely reduce symptoms at home and takes just 30 seconds a day. Nigel’s tip is to always wipe your window sills after leaving your windows open all day during the summer months.
“It’s unrealistic to say ‘don’t open your windows’ in summer, but not wiping the sills afterwards is basically inviting pollen to settle and linger in your home,” Nigel says.
“Just use a damp microfibre cloth once a day. It takes 30 seconds, costs nothing, and can genuinely reduce your hay fever flare-ups indoors.”
Pollen particles can quickly settle on smooth surfaces such as window sills, frames and blinds, especially when windows are left open during peak times.
But, wiping the pollen away before it has a chance to spread further from the window will prevent it from drifting to other surfaces, like bedding, sofas, and carpets, which will be much harder to clean daily.
Once this happens, the pollen can waft around the room every time someone walks by or closes the window.
This simple 30-second task should be done daily, as the worst of the pollen season is still ahead of us, with very high levels expected for the next few weeks.
Alongside wiping down your windowsills, Nigel has shared several other habits that can help keep hayfever symptoms under control:
- Wash bedding weekly at 60°C; this helps to remove pollen, dust mites, and other allergens that build up overnight.
- Avoid drying laundry outside. While this is certainly tempting in the summer, clothes left outside can pick up pollen and carry it straight into your wardrobe.
- Wipe down pets after walks, especially if they love rolling in the grass.
