(BPT) - As temperatures rise and flowers begin to bloom, it's more important than ever to make your home a sanctuary - safe from pollen and other allergens. This spring, upgrading your home air filter can drastically improve the quality of air your family breathes everyday.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over one-quarter of adults (25.7%) and about 1 in 5 children (18.9%) have seasonal allergies. Spring and summer can be peak times for bothersome symptoms ranging from congestion, sneezing, runny nose and fatigue to more serious consequences for children, the elderly, and those living with asthma or other chronic respiratory conditions.

If this describes someone in your household, you're probably already aware of how seasonal allergies as well as allergies to dust, pet dander and other triggers can impact your life. Fortunately, you can follow these steps to help reduce pollen and other allergens in your home, improving comfort for every member of your family.

1. Keep pollen out

You can take proactive measures to lower the amount of pollen that enters and circulates in your home, from the moment you first open your windows in the spring throughout the entire summer and early fall.

• Clean your window screens: High-quality screens help keep some pollen out, so it's vital to clean them periodically to keep pollen at bay and allow air to flow through. Use the brush tool on your vacuum to clean screens or a soft cloth. If you can easily remove screens, wash them outdoors with diluted dish detergent or vinegar.
• Use good-quality door mats: Place mats inside and outside every entrance to capture particles. Washable area rugs are also a good idea.
• Don't hang linens outside: Bedding or rugs hung outside to dry will collect pollens to bring indoors.
• Track the pollen count: If certain days are especially bad for local pollen counts, that may be a good time to keep windows closed and use your HVAC to circulate and filter indoor air.

2. Filter air better

Making sure the air you breathe inside is as clean as possible makes a big difference in your home.

• Use a high-quality air filter: For example, K&N air filters are built for strength and efficiency, providing superior airflow - up to 70% better - while trapping airborne contaminants like dust, pollen, smoke particles, bacteria and pet dander. K&N filters are made with the highest quality materials, including a strong HDPE frame, 2-ply filter media and metal mesh to maintain their shape and provide durability for the life of the filter, which is over 10 years. All K&N products are backed by a 10-year limited warranty.
• Keep your air filter clean: Disposable air filters need replacing every 3 months and cost a lot of money. What's more - approximately 3 billion air filters end up in U.S. landfills every year. With reusable air filters like K&N, you can simply rinse clean with your hose in about 5 minutes, shake off excess water and pop back in your HVAC system, with no need for cleaning equipment or solvents.
• Choose the right MERV rating for your household: Whether you want a more free-flowing filter (MERV 8) or want to remove even more pollens, allergens and dust from your home (MERV 13), K&N has a full range of options available. Visit KNFilters.com/home to learn more.

3. Clean surfaces smarter

From ceiling fans, cabinet tops, and shelves to carpets and other flooring, dust and allergens will accumulate over time, so regular deep cleaning is a must! Cleaning these surfaces will also help reduce the allergens that end up floating around in your home.

• Start at the top: Anything you dust can end up on the floor, so working from the top to the bottom is most effective.
• Clean ceiling fans carefully: Try using an old pillowcase around each fan blade as you work to help capture dust. Spray diluted vinegar inside the pillowcase first to pick up dust, then follow that initial dusting with a damp cloth.
• Declutter first: To make surfaces easier to dust, remove items that can get in your way or that also need dusting.
• Tackle floors with allergens in mind: Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter to remove fine particles from surfaces. If you have family members with severe allergies, asthma or other respiratory conditions, you may want to replace carpets with hard flooring instead. Otherwise, consider regular shampooing to further remove dust, dirt and other allergens after vacuuming.

Taking these steps will help give you peace of mind that you're doing all you can to provider cleaner air for everyone in your home, so you can all breathe a little easier.