A-Choo! Grab The Tissues It’s Allergy Season

An unusually wet and cold spring that has finally given way to a bit of sun and warmth has created a doozie of a pollen season for 2013.  You guessed it.  That means more mold, more pollen, more sneezes all around.  Even if you haven’t had seasonal allergies in the past, you may be troubled by them this year.

Seasonal allergies get kicked it into high gear when trees, grasses, and weeds send tiny pollen bits into the air.  Their need to re-populate and your need to run and grab a tissue are directly related.  When these pollen bits enter the nose of an allergic person, it sends the immune system into hyper-drive.  The immune system thinks it’s doing you a favor by trying to fight off this nasty foreign entity thus causing a histamine release.  It’s histamine that causes your eyes to feel like sand paper and sends you into sneezing fits.

What can you do to ease the symptoms of that pesky seasonal allergic rhinitis?  Of course the experts tell you avoidance is the best possible solution for easing seasonal allergies, but clearly they aren’t living in the same world as the rest of us.  It’s pretty much impossible to seal yourself up in a plastic bubble and still maintain your life.  However, you can take some steps to avoiding pollen as much as possible.  A nice help to knowing when pollen counts are at their peak is pollen.com’s new iPhone app available in Apple’s iTunes App Store.  The app tracks pollen counts in your designated area.  It will also provide information for asthma sufferers, information on colds & coughs, and ultraviolet sensitivity.  It rates days for pollen based on a 0-12 point scale and is color coded so it’s very easy to read at a glance.  If you’ve been tested for what kinds of pollen you are most allergic to, you’ll be happy to know the app gives information on what type of pollen is out at this particular time.  For example, today’s pollen is being caused by mulberry, oak, and birch trees.

Avoidance, or at least trying to minimize your pollen exposure, is one method.  Over the counter allergy medicines are another.  Natural items to help ease allergies include vitamin C and evening primrose to reduce swelling.

Experts also say washing your hands and rinsing your eyes once you come in from outside will help in your allergic reaction to pollen.

Installing an air filtering system in your home and office will pull pollen bits from the air.  Many types of air filters may be purchased through Great River Office Products.  Give Dayna a call and she’ll be able to help you find the right filter for your system.

Even with these tips, you’ll probably still need a good tissue to blow your nose.  We have those too in every grade from super soft with aloe to your standard, hardy Kleenex.  Visit our website at www.greatriverofficeproducts.com to learn more.

Happy trails and happy sneezes to you!

Put the Dust Bunnies On Notice

General spring cleaning time is upon us for both our homes and offices.  Ranking far better than cleaning the toilet and dusting; general spring cleaning does still make it into Rankopedia’s Top 20 Chores We Like the Least.  That makes sense. No one really likes pulling out the office desk and going nose-to-nose with a dust bunny that is baring its teeth.

Rabid dust bunnies aside, cleaning your office thoroughly once and awhile is simply a good thing to do for you and your employees.  Just like your home, your office accumulates dust and allergens with each passing day.  With more human traffic than a home, an office can pile up even more yucky stuff. Keeping you and your employees happy, healthy, and productive can start with how clean your office is.

You probably do routine cleaning at least once a week, if not more.  That would include restroom cleaning, trash pick-up, and vacuuming.  That is awesome.  It’s the corner’s we’re really talking about right now and the piles of unfiled tax information and last year’s catalogs cluttering up your hallways that get easy to look past each day that are our issue today.  At some point, you’ve got to take the bull by the horns and do something with it all!

Clutter holds dust, bacteria, and allergens. More importantly clutter in a hallway can be a major fire or worker’s comp issue.  Envision someone tripping over last year’s tax receipts.  Yep, now you do have issues.  Great River Office Products carries lots and lots of items to help you de-clutter your space.  For example, banker’s boxes that are inexpensive to purchase, but can hold all of your documents are a great investment.  They are stackable to save space.

Smead Corporation makes just about any kind of file you can imagine.  Smead is one of Great River Office Products featured brands.  Check out our website to see your many options.  www.greatriverofficeproducts.com

So now that you’ve stored what needs storing, you can probably really see the dust and gunk.  Remember to check behind your computers too for dust.  Computers will accumulate dust on the back near the fan and cause computer issues and create a potential fire hazard.

Great River Office Products has lots of getting-rid-of-the-gunk cleaning supplies.  A few to keep in mind for both deep cleaning and everyday touch up are:

·        Windex Multi-Surface Cleaner

·        Clorox Disposable Wipes

·        Brawny Paper Towels

·        Pledge Dusting Wipes

Remember, a clean office is a happy office.  Get out there and clean it up.  Great River Office Products is here to help with all of your supplies to make it happen.  Contact us at www.greatriverofficeproducts.com to learn more.