Even though summer is winding down, there’s never a bad time to allergy-proof your car. For some folks, allergies are a year-round problem, and the inside of your car is no exception when it comes to places that harbor allergens and dust and all manner of things that could set someone off into a sneezing attack. So, for that, there’s allergy-proofing! This is a super easy thing to do that can save someone on tissues big-time.

The most important thing you can do is to vacuum your car out. Thoroughly. Every surface, every vent, every crack, and crevice. This also has the added bonus of making your car smell better when you’re done. If you want to go further, you can also use an allergen-reducing spray (Febreeze has a good one) on all of the soft surfaces inside your vehicle.

You can also check your cabin air filter. This guy is the intermediary between the air outside your car and the air that comes into the cabin through your vents. It’s pretty likely that the filter is gross and full of dirt and pollen. The good news is that these are generally really inexpensive and easy to replace. Check out a tutorial on YouTube if you’re more of a DIY type, or take your vehicle into your dealer (may we suggest Galles Chevrolet?) and we’ll take care of it for you.

When you’re driving around, especially in spring and summer, you should try to not have the windows down as much as possible. This lets pollen-filled air directly into your vehicle, and then the pollen and dust settle inside your vehicle and can trigger allergies easily. Even when you’re parked, pollen and dust will stick to the outside of your vehicle – so you should get your car washed somewhat frequently to get all that pollen off.

And even if your car does send someone into a fit of sneezing, after you’ve vacuumed and Febreezed and replaced your filter, you should keep tissues handy at all times!