Spring Pollen & Your Carpets, Rugs and Air Ducts: What Actually Helps

How pollen gets into your carpets and rugs

Spring in Portland and Vancouver brings heavy tree pollen. It does not stay outdoors. It rides in on shoes, clothing, pets and open windows, and then it mixes with the tracked-in mud and dust that spring rains bring. Carpets and rugs act like a filter, holding that fine material in the pile and backing, where a quick vacuum does not reach it. Walking on the floor can stir some of it back into the air.

If anyone in your home has allergies or asthma, talk with your doctor about what is right for you. The steps below reduce what builds up in the home, but they are not medical treatment.

Stop it at the door

• Take shoes off at the door. It is the simplest way to cut down tracked-in pollen and mud.
• Put a good doormat outside and a washable one inside every entrance.
• Brush off pets before they come in, and wipe their paws.
• Keep windows closed on high-pollen days, and consider a filter in your furnace or HVAC system, replaced on schedule.

Vacuum the right way

Use a vacuum with a good filter, such as a HEPA filter, and go slowly in more than one direction so it can pull fine dust out of the pile. During peak pollen weeks, vacuum high-traffic carpets and rugs a couple of times a week. For silk, antique and hand-knotted rugs, use suction only and keep the vacuum off the fringe. See our guide to protecting rugs from humidity, pollen and pets.

When professional cleaning helps

Vacuuming handles loose surface dust. Professional cleaning goes further, and the timing matters.

• Carpet: hot-water extraction pulls out soil that settles deep in the pile. See how often to clean carpets.
• Rugs: rugs are washed at our plant. Dry soil removal comes first, then an immersion wash. See why dry soil removal comes first.
• Timing: many people clean after the heaviest pollen season ends in late spring or early summer, and again before the wet winter months.

What about air ducts?

Duct cleaning is not a routine spring chore. The EPA says it is not required routinely, and it is most worth considering when there is visible mold, pests, or heavy buildup of dust or debris. See our guide to air duct cleaning in the Pacific Northwest.