Brits have been advised to take about 30-seconds of their time to clean their windowsills after leaving them open. The instructions were given by a cleaning expert as the UK is believed to be entering one of the worst hayfever seasons on record. There are currently 10 million people in the UK who are affected by hayfever and as a result are suffering from a number of symptoms including sneezing and coughing, a runny or blocked nose, itchy, red or watery eyes, itchy throat, mouth, nose, and ears, loss of smell, pain around sides of head and forehead, headaches and tiredness.
While many people rely on antihistamines for relief from the increased pollen counts and avoid the outdoors, they can often forget what is happening inside their own homes and how it is impacting them.
Nigel Bearman, home cleaning expert and founder of Daily Poppins, said: “It’s unrealistic to say ‘don’t open your windows’ in the summer, but not wiping the sills afterwards is basically inviting pollen to settle and linger in your home.”
The simple task is especially important to carry out this week as the Met Office forecasts very high and high pollen counts across various areas in the UK for the next five days.
According to the forecast, London and the south east of England will have it the worst this week with very high grass pollen and high weed pollen set to impact the areas until Friday, June 20.
The Midlands and East of England are also experiencing very high pollen counts today, and the count will switch between very high and high throughout the week.
The whole of the UK, except the Highlands and Eilean Siar, and Orkney and Shetland, will experience very high or high pollen counts on Friday, June 20.
Pollen particles settle quickly on smooth sills, frames, and blinds, especially when windows are left open during peak times. Once indoors, they waft back into the air every time you open or close the window, draw the curtains, or even just walk by.
Wiping them away before they have the chance to spread prevents them from drifting onto other surfaces like bedding, sofas and carpets, which are much harder to clean daily.
Nigel added: “Just use a damp microfibre cloth once a day. It takes 30 seconds, costs nothing, and can genuinely reduce your hayfever flare-ups indoors.”