Keep the Pollen off My Porch, Please

March 31, 2014 6:54 PM

I have, on the second floor of my home in Texas, a screened-in porch with chairs, a massage table, and a sauna. Every few months, everything is coated in a fine yellow mist, and (ignoring what havoc it wrecks with my sinuses) the whole place is a two-hour pain to clean. Hive Mind: Suggestions for keeping the pollen out? Alternatively, suggestions for cleaning that are more effective (I always end up with some on the roof of the sauna, some in the structural whatsits in the roof, all over the floor, chairs, table, etc) than going through with a 36 pack of bar rags and crazily-diluted bleach?
posted by Seeba to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

I have no idea how to prevent the pollen as I have the same issue on my balcony right now thanks to it finally being spring in SoCal, but what about renting a power washer when you deem it time to do a clean?
posted by Hermione Granger at 7:13 PM on March 31, 2014

Curtains? I've seen lots of porches with curtains and they can remain open most of the time. Keep an eye on the weather for pollen count and close them when they spike.

(Some clothes pins or clips will probably help to keep them closed.)
posted by beccaj at 7:14 PM on March 31, 2014

You'll probably have to install windows to really prevent pollen.
posted by mibo at 7:32 PM on March 31, 2014

I don't think you're going to be able to prevent the pollen dusting. For clean up, I would get an electric power washer (My Costco has them right now for about $150.) instead of bar rags and bleach. Of course this assumes that your porch as proper drainage.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 7:35 PM on March 31, 2014

Air compressor and mask.
posted by Specklet at 7:41 PM on March 31, 2014

Visqueen, shades, or curtains for an inexpensive fix (just keep your choice closed tight). Glassing it in is also an option.
posted by myselfasme at 7:43 PM on March 31, 2014

If it's the same yellow pine pollen we have here in Georgia, curtains aren't going to do anything for you other than give you another thing to wash. Nthing the suggestions for windows/glass.
posted by radwolf76 at 8:46 PM on March 31, 2014

Response by poster: Worth a shot, thanks all.

Yah, we don't have any drainage on the porch, but do have already a set of curtains (well, shades may be a better term - my wife made fabric rectangles that fit the lower halves of the windows, and radwolf, you're exactly right, they get dirty just as quickly as everything else).

I'll look into removable glass panes - something that will allow us to keep the otherwise pleasant airflow when relaxing up there in the evening, but still keep out the dusty yellow crap.
posted by Seeba at 6:23 AM on April 1, 2014