This is the best way to vacuum to reduce your hay fever symptoms at home

Many of us battle itchy eyes, sore throats and headaches this time of year, whether we're indoors or out. It turns out that vacuuming your carpet or rugs in a zig-zag pattern could actually help with your hayfever.

Experts say that using your best vacuum cleaner in this way can reduce pollen particles and help to keep sneezing fits at bay.

'By moving diagonally, you’re brushing fibers in both a vertical and horizontal direction,' says Alessandro Gazzo from Dallas house cleaning service Emily’s Maids. 'I’m allergic so I try to vacuum my home at least twice a week.' 

Alessandro adds, 'if I start sneezing, it’s a good sign for me that I need to vacuum. I can feel the difference afterward.' He also recommends going over the same area of flooring more than once to give the floor a thorough clean. 

Alex Varela, General Manager of Dallas Maids, another house cleaning service based in Dallas, Texas agrees. 'Moving on a zig-zag pattern is a good technique,' Alex says. 

'However, to get the best out of it, you should complement it by doing more rounds with other techniques.'

Alex suggests using the zig-zag vacuuming method all the way around a room and then starting again pushing the vacuum forward and backward in a straight line. The cleaning expert says to move to the right and overlap about 50% of the total width of your vacuuming row.

This will mean most of the areas will be vacuumed twice. 'For improved efficiency, do one round moving from north to south and the next one from east to west,' says Alex. 'This way, you’ll clean your carpet fibers in both directions.'

If you've always had a standard vacuum cleaner but are thinking of going wire-free, check out the best cordless vacuum cleaners. If your hay fever is really bad, look out for vacuum cleaners that have a HEPA filter.

These will help prevent allergens from being released back into the air. And if you want ultra convenience, consider the best robot vacuum cleaners that will get to work without you.

Carpets and rugs gather a lot of dust, mites and bacteria, as well as pollen particles. Regular vacuuming will improve the air quality, with fewer particles floating around. 

When you vacuum, it's very much 'less haste more speed.' Take your time in each room rather than trying to get it done as quickly as possible.