---
title: "Pollen-Proof Your Windows Before Upstate Spring"
url: https://www.herespartanburg.com/home-garden/guide/pollen-proof-windows-upstate-spring/
date: 2026-04-24T08:35:49-04:00
modified: 2026-04-24T08:35:49-04:00
author: "Reginald Orr"
site: "HERESpartanburg"
attribution: "HERESpartanburg"
---

# Pollen-Proof Your Windows Before Upstate Spring

> Foam weatherstripping on double-hung windows + door sweeps. Clean screens before season. Replace HVAC cabin air filters monthly March–May. Pollen peaks May in Spartanburg.

*Source: [HERESpartanburg](https://www.herespartanburg.com/home-garden/guide/pollen-proof-windows-upstate-spring/) — April 24, 2026 by Reginald Orr*

Spartanburg pollen counts peak at 2,500+ grains per cubic meter in May — ten times the Northeast peak. Every unsealed window is a pollen pump. This guide is the 60-minute spring prep that saves weeks of sneezing.

**Double-hung windows**

The gap between the upper and lower sash is the biggest pollen entry point. Self-adhesive closed-cell foam weatherstripping ($8 a roll at Lowe’s) seals it. Clean the sash surfaces, peel, stick, close the window. Done.

**Door sweeps**

The bottom of every exterior door should have a flexible sweep that drags on the threshold. If yours is torn, flattened, or missing, replace it. $12-$20 per door, 10 minutes each.

**Screens before pollen, not after**

A dirty screen holds pollen in the mesh and releases it every time the wind blows. Pop every screen, hose them down, let them dry, reinstall — before April 1.

**HVAC filters — monthly March through May**

A MERV 11 or MERV 13 filter is worth the extra $5 during pollen season. Change it every 30 days until Memorial Day. Pollen does not care about the 90-day rating on the filter package.