MACON, Ga. — Spring has sprung and so have seasonal allergies.
This means it's time to get out the cleaning supplies and start spring cleaning.
According to Dr. Jeffery Langford, seasonal allergies usually peak around late February and early March when the trees start sprouting again.
Langford is a Central Georgia allergist from Dublin.
He said deep cleaning your space can help reduce the effects of your seasonal allergies. He suggests you wipe away as much of the settled and collected dust in your home.
"You can wipe every surface in your house," he said. "So crown molding, baseboards. We recommend people use a wet wipe or something wet."
One of the physical benefits of spring cleaning is breathing in cleaner air. But Langford explained ceiling fans don't help with that.
"Allergists do not like ceiling fans because it circulates the allergen in the airway all night, so we always recommend people turn off their ceiling fans," Langford said.
Turning off the fan makes the air settle and then wipeable.
An allergist's biggest spring cleaning tip: start high and move low. If your allergies are really bad indoors, try sleeping in a room with fewer fluffy items.
"We like slick floors, as few pillows as possible and window coverings that are wipeable," Langford said.
He also suggests you change your clothes as soon as you get home from being out so the pollen and dust on you doesn't linger in your space.
The Peach State gets to experience "true seasonality" throughout the year as the climate changes, according to Langford.
"This time of year though, the spring pollen counts are gonna be so high," Langford said. "10, 20 years ago we used to see counts in the thousands and think how high they were and how crazy they were. These days, because of climate change or what have you, we see counts in the 10 or 15 thousand, as a matter of almost routine."
However you decide to spring into cleaning, just make it as easy for you as you can.
"Do as much as you can," Langford said. "The reality is, with the allergy exposure we have in this area of Georgia, sometimes you need medication sometimes you need treatment."