Can Dirty Aircon Make Your Eyes Itchy? If you live in Singapore, you will have noticed that the air quality has been steadily deteriorating. There are several reasons why, but one of them is likely to be your AC. In Singapore’s scorching heat, most people rely on their air-conditioning system to stay calm.
But this also means they will constantly be exposed to indoor pollutants like allergens and other contaminants such as dust or pollen blown in by the AC’s fan. To understand how dirty your aircon contributes to itchy eyes and how to perform a proper aircon cleaning, continue reading the post below:
Eye allergies are caused by an allergic reaction to something you are constantly exposed to. The substances that cause eye allergies or irritations include dust, pollen, and essential oils released from the ingredients used in your favorite cosmetics products.
Aside from possible symptoms like watery eyes or a stuffy nose, those who suffer from eye allergies may also experience redness, swelling, and itching around their eyes. You may use your aircon if you have trouble breathing because of an allergy to dust or pollen. However, if your aircon is already dusty or full of pollen, your symptoms will likely worsen.
Pollen and dust particles can become trapped in the cooling coils inside your AC’s machinery. Once the AC starts blowing out cool air again, the trapped dust and pollen are blown into the room. Air conditioning only works when cool air is blown out of a more excellent object into a warmer environment. But in Singapore’s humidity, you will never feel genuinely cooled down. So no matter how well you run your AC, you probably still breathe in contaminated indoor air.
It is not dust and pollen that can cause eye allergies and irritations, but the oil released from your cosmetic products. This is why you should keep makeup in places far away from your AC.
As you know, fats are not good when they get oxidized. And this is especially true of oils found in cosmetics because they will easily be corrupted. So try to keep your cosmetics out of direct contact with the aircon unit – if it is too late, use a face makeup remover before sleep so that the residual oils can be washed off thoroughly.
It is critical to address these bacteria and allergens within your AC system. Like your home, your AC is a haven for bacteria. Failing to clean and maintain your AC ensures that bacteria and germs will breed and spread quickly throughout the house.
Most people who use air-conditioning systems will often not clean their ACs regularly, mainly because they are so expensive to repair. This means that they are allowing more allergens and contaminants into their homes.
When you breathe in dust particles (such as pollen or fiber), the particles will stick to the moist lining of the nasal cavity in your nose. This is the part of your body that holds your tears, which are the liquid that lubricates the eye’s surface. The dried-out lining of your nasal cavity can trap irritants and allergens that will remain in this area throughout the day.
When you breathe in pollen particles, they will also stick to your mucosal lining. This mucosal lining covers most of your body’s surfaces, so you constantly breathe allergens into your aircon system. So even if you clean up at home or work thoroughly, you must regularly maintain and clean up the inside of your AC unit.
Many people have trouble cleaning their air conditioners, which is one of the significant factors in making our environment healthier. Here are ways to clean your air conditioner and return it to its original pristine state.
You can take a vacuum cleaner and use it on your AC unit. This will suck all the dirt from your unit, leaving it clean and free from dust, grime, pollen, and other allergens. Make sure not to use the brush attachment, as it might scrape off your AC’s paint.
A Condenser coil has delicate fins that can trap dust and allergens floating through the air. These fins will become clogged when subjected to high pressure due to dirty air filters or improper ventilation in your home or office.
To clean this, wet a soft towel or sponge and use it to wipe the condenser coil. Remember that cleaning these surfaces properly is critical as you will be contaminating this space with all the micro dust particles being sucked in by the vacuum cleaner, significantly if you do not change your aircon filters regularly.
If your condenser coil is not dirty, then try using a soft-bristled brush to clean it. The bristles should be as soft as possible, given that you do not want to scratch the fins and make them dirty even more. In addition, please avoid using harsh chemicals and cleaning agents to prevent scrubbing the fins or rubbing them in any way. Use soft soap on the areas that need extra scrubbing before wiping them off with a clean towel or sponge.
If you suffer from eye allergies, are dusty, or are full of allergens, AC can cause you to experience red eyes, itchy and swollen eyes, and probably a stuffy nose. An increase in allergies has been linked to air conditioning systems. This is because the filters can trap small particles that enter the system with increasing levels during hot weather conditions.
The trapped particles irritate your eyes, nose, and throat, producing increased amounts of mucus which causes eye irritation, discomfort, and itching sensations that can result in dark-light vision changes or blurry vision. Dust particles are removed from the outside air by this process, but these remove only larger pieces of dust, not smaller ones that cause eye irritation, meaning you should perform a regular aircon cleaning.
