Fort Worth has two big pollen stretches: mountain cedar from mid December into March, and ragweed that lasts until the end of November. This guide shows where that pollen lands indoors and how to keep it out of the air you breathe.
In much of the country, allergy season means spring. In Fort Worth, the worst week for many people falls in January, when mountain cedar pollen drifts up from the Hill Country. Then, after a short break, ragweed carries on through the fall until the end of November.
Cleaning cannot cure an allergy, and this guide is not medical advice. What a steady routine can do is cut down the pollen that collects on surfaces, fabrics and floors, so less of it ends up back in the air. Here is how to plan that routine around the local seasons.
Mountain cedar. Ashe juniper usually starts releasing pollen in mid December, often right after a cold front moves through, peaks in mid January and tapers off toward early March, according to Texas A&M. A University of Texas at Arlington release describes the North Central Texas season as running from late December to February with a January peak, the pollen carried in from the Hill Country. Cedar grains are fine and travel far, so they show up even in neighborhoods with no juniper in sight.
Ragweed. An allergist quoted by NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth said ragweed season in North Texas does not end until the end of November. With the average first freeze at DFW around November 22, the season usually winds down only once real cold weather sets in.
Between the two, the hot, dry middle of summer brings its own problem. July and August are among the driest months, and with about 20 days a year at 100 degrees or more, windows stay shut and the same indoor dust keeps circulating.
Pollen enters on clothes, hair, pets and shoes, and through every door that swings open. Once inside, it collects in a few predictable places.
At the door. Keep a mat outside and inside each entry, and leave shoes and jackets near the door during peak weeks. Wipe dogs' coats and paws with a damp towel before they settle in.
Surfaces. Use a damp microfiber cloth, not a feather duster, on sills, blinds and flat surfaces. Dry dusting lifts fine cedar pollen into the air. Work top down, ceiling fans first, so what falls gets picked up by the floor pass.
Fabrics. Wash sheets and pillowcases weekly in hot water through January, and wash or vacuum throws and sofa cushions more often than usual.
Floors. Vacuum with a sealed or HEPA filtered machine at least twice a week in the peak weeks. Damp mop hard floors after vacuuming.
Air. Replace the air conditioning or furnace filter at the start of the season, and again partway through if it looks gray. A higher efficiency filter catches more of the fine grains.
Late spring is the rainy stretch in Fort Worth. May is the wettest month at a normal 4.78 inches, and wet weather tends to wash pollen out of the air for a while, but muddy yards and pets put more dirt on floors. Keep up the entry mat routine and damp mopping.
In the fall, ragweed runs until the end of November and October brings the second rainy peak. Restart the cedar routine at a lighter pace from September on: damp dusting, weekly bedding washes and frequent vacuuming in rooms where people and pets spend the most time.
A professional schedule can carry most of the load. Every Recurring House Clean dusts reachable baseboards and blind slats, vacuums and mops floors, and wipes sills and surfaces. An allergy household can run weekly visits through January and the late fall, then return to bi-weekly. The recurring cleaning guide explains how to choose.
The questions Fort Worth homeowners ask most often about this topic, answered plainly.
TotalCare Cleaning will service Fort Worth and surrounding areas with background-checked cleaners and is insured up to $1 million. Re-clean guarantee: if we missed something, tell us by the end of the next day and we come back to fix it. Beyond Clean. TotalCare.
