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.
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.