If you live with Allergies, you know the pain that 1/5th of the population of the United States have to deal with. Scratchy, itchy, sneezy, and downright awful, this plague can make you feel down on a good day and sick, even when you aren’t actually; all in all, it truly isn’t enjoyable, and it’s something that every one of us would free ourselves of if possible. Unfortunately, allergies—for now—are here to stay, and some days are even worse than others. Take yesterday, for instance, when San Antonio reached a new high for mold allergens, causing people across the good state of Texas to instantly reach for their kerchiefs and bear down for an overall miserable Sunday afternoon.
Yes, we were there, and yes we all suffered with you; it was not a very fun football Sunday.
Now, you might be wondering why we—a HOA management company—might be talking about allergies and weather and mold; after all, they don’t exactly fit in our “mold” that we’ve created for ourselves (pun intended). Well, as it just so happens, there are a few things that you—as board members—can do to reduce the impact of these high allergen days, all so your homeowners can have just a bit of relief this summer. So, without further ado, here are some tips for reducing the amount of allergens in your neighborhood and improving the overall quality of your life. Here we go!
- Keep Up with the Yard Work
When trees grow out of control, lawns become untenable, and various foliage leave shedding all over the ground, allergies can become your worst nightmare. That’s why it’s absolutely important that you continually are sending groundskeepers out to common areas whenever the need arises (whether that is weekly or monthly). Even though it may not seem like it, keeping your neighborhood free of debris is a fantastic way to keep allergens out of the air, as is doing your best to ensure dust isn’t strewn throughout the neighborhood. After all, one of the biggest causes of airborne allergens is the plants that create them, so make sure not to skimp on the maintenance vendors. Your neighbors (and your sinuses) will thank you.
- Make Sure Everyone Else Keeps up with their Yard Work as Well
So now you have all the trees trimmed to your specifications and all the oleander bushes cut down to a manageable size; this is a good start, but it isn’t quite enough to ensure your neighborhood is allergen free. After all, if you’re like most communities, you have no direct control over the properties of your fellow members, and this can become a major problem. Fortunately, CC&Rs, as you well know, give board members and homeowners associations the ability to hold homeowners to a high standard, particularly when it comes to the state of their foliage and their lawns. All you need to do is make sure those standards are enforced; that means making certain everyone keeps their bushes trimmed, their lawns cut, and their bushes from growing out of control.
- Get Rid of Allergy Sensitive Plants
At the end of the day, one of the biggest causes of annoying allergies is the plants you have planted in your neighborhood; as such, it’s a good idea to try and control which plants you have, so you can do your best to keep allergies down to a minimum. Obviously, you can’t please everyone, and there are probably going to be plants in a neighborhood that set off the allergies of someone—regardless of how thorough you happen to be. But, there are many plants out there that people are more likely to be allergic to, and these are the plants you should at least try to cut down on within your neighborhood. Here is a small list of plants and weeds you should avoid and replace, if you have a proliferation of them within your neighborhood:
- Ryegrass
- Mountain Cedar
- Elm Trees
- Mulberry
- Tumbleweed
- Arizona Cypress
For a full list of plants that are awful for your allergies, check out this article here.
- Keep the Neighborhood Clean
The number one way to keep outdoor allergens at bay, of course, is to keep your neighborhood clean. Regular street sweeps are always recommended, and keeping dusty work down to a minimum is something you should prioritize, particularly when it comes to avoiding allergies. Overall, though you won’t ever be able to get rid of allergens completely, just making certain your neighborhood stays as clean as possible—utilizing vendors, of course—can make spring and summer a much more enjoyable time for you and homeowners alike. It may be an extra expense, but it just might be worth it!
Trust us; if you want to have control of your sinuses again, or if you want to make your neighborhood just a bit more life friendly, then you may want to declare all out war on allergens. Call or check out spectrumam.com for more information!
