Does this sound familiar?
You wake up, brew your coffee and get ready to walk out the door. As you reach for your keys and open the front door your utterly shocked…
It is like a light green powder was just shot from a cannon and literally overnight, your car, sidewalk and house is covered in pollen. You are now left wondering, what do I do with all this pollen.
What is the pollen count today?
Due to the cool temperatures, sun and all the blooming plants pollen season is officially here.
The Washington Post published an article on April 18th after the pollen count shot up seemingly over night. However, as the article stated,
“Many of our abundant tree pollen producers are also not quite at peak level concentrations, to include pine, birch, mulberry, sycamore and ash. . . . Thus, I would suspect with weather permitting — there is still plenty more in store for us.”
In other words… there is plenty of pollen to come. But besides sneezing, itchy eyes and wheezing, what is the big deal about pollen anyways?
>> See more about Spring Maintenance Tips
Problems Pollen Causes
Is pollen annoying? Yes.
Simple tasks like opening your front door and walking on your driveway can mean you now have pollen on your hands and feet. The biggest complaint most have about pollen is the allergic reactions.
Even people who do not technically have allergies can still be impacted by pollen. Historically, pollen arrives around the third or fourth week of April depending on the whether.
Late April is when you see pollen arrive. And with pollen sometimes comes trouble.
Here is a quick list of some of the issues pollen can cause:
- Pollen can leave stains on your deck, driveway, house, siding, roof and especially on stucco.
- Pollen has been known to clog gutters. The thick pollen and spring rains create a thick substance that can clog downspouts.
- Pollen allergies are the worst!
So in the event the pollen count is high by you, what options do you have?
3 Solutions for Your Pollen Problem
The best solution to dealing with the allergies that pollen causes is to stop by your local pharmacy and pick up some allergy medicine. Itchy eye drops don’t hurt either.
But when it comes to your belongings that stay outside, your car and home there are 3 solutions to help with the high pollen counts!
1. Rinse Your Driveway & Car
Each afternoon when you get home grab your hose and spray off your car and driveway. While the chances of the pollen being back the next day, spraying off your car and walkways doesn’t hurt.
Check the weather channel to see when rain is coming since rain will help wash the pollen away.
>> Pressure Washing Your Driveway?
2. Get Your Home Soft Washed
The best solution to your pollen problems is to wait it out, then get your home soft washed.
While spraying down everything daily might help with the pollen problem, let’s be honest – most people don’t have time to do that. As pollen season begins to die down as summer picks up, just have your home soft washed.
In order to prevent possible stains that pollen causes and keep your house looking great, consider getting your home washed after the spring pollen dissipates.
>> The Difference Between Pressure Washing & Soft Washing
3. Get your Gutters Checked
Do not overlook what pollen can do to your gutters!!
Where your gutters meet the downspout is a highly important component of your roofs drainage system. During heavy spring rains, water rushes down your downspouts as gutters fill up with water quickly.
However, the previous weeks of pollen build up mixed with other rains can actually create a cake like substance that builds up around the downspout.
The likelihood of this happening really just depends but best case scenario nothing happens. Worst case scenario, the downspout and gutter can begin to pull away from your home creating a bigger problem.
Reach out to learn about our gutter cleaning and free gutter inspection here.
Pollen Take Away:
At the end of the day no one likes pollen, but every April it rears its ugly head. For some, allergies can be horrific well into the summer.
While there is no controlling pollen, there are ways to minimize its impact. Keeping hi-touch areas like your car, railings, and deck clean are just a start!
Hopefully some of the solutions above help!